Turkey will use all possibilities to reconcile Russia and Ukraine, says Erdoğan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that Ankara is in constant contact with Moscow and Kyiv and will use all its diplomatic resources to resolve the conflict.

“We continue to strive for peace and will keep working toward it. We are in contact with both Russia and Ukraine. We see the current momentum (in the context of dialogue between the parties) as a permanent opportunity for peace. We repeatedly note that this opportunity should not be missed. Let’s not close this window of opportunity. We will use all our diplomatic strength and potential for peace. Ending this great fire in our region is both a humanitarian obligation and in our national interest,” Erdoğan stated.

The Turkish leader expressed hope that current peace efforts will lead to a desirable compromise. “The whole world has seen that this war has fundamentally changed the European security architecture and especially energy policy. The European Union is seeking ways to reduce dependence on Russia in the energy sector. And this increases the geopolitical importance of energy transit countries like Turkey,” Erdoğan stated.

During a phone call, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan informed EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas about the results of negotiations held in Russia on May 26-27 regarding the Ukrainian settlement,  sources from Turkey’s Foreign Ministry told TASS.

“The steps taken to stop the war between Ukraine and Russia were discussed. Minister Fidan shared his assessments of the meetings held earlier this week in Russia and his upcoming visit to Ukraine,” the sources said.