President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that a unilateral cease-fire is needed to approach peace in the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia.

In a phone call, Erdoğan said that peace and negotiation calls must be supported by a unilateral cease-fire as well as a vision of a fair solution.

He reiterated to his counterpart that negotiations have so far borne fruit regarding the grain initiative, prisoner exchange and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in Ukraine's south.

According to the Kremlin, on the other side, Putin "acknowledged the destructive role of the West, pumping weapons into Kyiv, providing information and guidance".

Putin said that Russia was ready for a dialogue on Ukraine, but that Kyiv must fulfil the previously announced requirements and take into account "new territorial realities."

The Kremlin said the pair discussed "the unblocking of food and fertiliser supplies from Russia" and the need for "the removal of all barriers to Russian exports."

Russia briefly exited the deal in October after a drone attack on its Black Sea Fleet. It re-entered the deal within days through Turkish mediation but officials have complained of restrictions on Russian products.

Putin sent troops to Ukraine in February last year.

Erdoğan was also scheduled to have a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy o discuss the Black Sea grain corridor and fertilizer issue on the same day.

Türkiye had enabled a prisoner swap between the warring countries. Also, Turkish mediation proved vital in facilitating the signing of a deal between Türkiye, the United Nations, Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul to reopen certain Ukrainian ports to release grain that had been stuck for months owing to the ongoing conflict. This development has been crucial in responding to a growing global food crisis.

Türkiye is one of the most active countries working to ensure a permanent cease-fire between Ukraine and Russia. Its delicately balanced act of assuming a mediator role by keeping communication channels with both warring sides open provides a glimmer of hope in diplomatic efforts to find a solution and achieve peace in the Ukraine crisis. With its unique position of having friendly relations with both Russia and Ukraine, Türkiye has won widespread appreciation for its push to end the war.

Since the beginning of the conflict, Ankara has offered to mediate between the two sides and host peace talks, underlining its support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. While Ankara has opposed international sanctions designed to isolate Moscow, it also closed its straits to prevent some Russian vessels from crossing.

In a breakthrough, Russian and Ukrainian delegations met for peace talks in Istanbul on March 29. Türkiye also hosted Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers in Antalya earlier in March.