Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that a "historic turning point" had been reached in ending the war in Ukraine during a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron.
In the phone call, Erdogan told Macron that "a historic turning point has been reached in efforts to end the war between Ukraine and Russia, that this opportunity must be seized and that Turkey is ready to provide any kind of support, including hosting negotiations, to achieve a ceasefire and lasting peace," the Turkish presidency said, quoted by AFP.
During their visit to Kiev on May 10, the leaders of France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Poland, with the support of US President Donald Trump, put pressure on Russia to commit to an unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine starting May 12.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he expected Moscow to commit to a 30-day ceasefire, adding that Kiev was "ready" to meet with Russia for direct peace talks if it did so.
His comments came after Russian President Vladimir Putin called on Kiev to meet in Istanbul for talks on May 15, although he did not commit to a ceasefire.
Turkey, which twice hosted talks between Russia and Ukraine at the start of the war, has good relations with both sides.
During the phone call, Erdogan also stressed "the importance of continued cooperation for the sensitive management of the processes of launching lasting peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, as well as for supporting Ukraine's recovery," the presidency said.
On May 10, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan took part in a video conference with about 20 other member countries of the "coalition of the willing" supporting Ukraine.
At the meeting, he stated that "Turkey supports the establishment of an unconditional ceasefire and efforts in this direction." | BGNES