Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday that Türkiye, along with Belarus, can act as a mediator to resolve the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
Speaking at a joint news conference with his Belarusian counterpart in Moscow, he reminded of Monday’s phone call between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and said Türkiye was interested in providing a platform for mediation. Lavrov also underlined that it was not Russia that discontinued talks held in Istanbul for peace.
Türkiye maintains good relations with both Russia and Ukraine, and accelerated efforts to resolve the conflict as a peace plan offered by the U.S. is up for debate nowadays.
Türkiye has faith that positive negotiations may resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Monday. “Negotiations based on just and lasting peace will certainly impact the current process. Türkiye played an important role in the Istanbul Talks, and we are committed to this constructive stand,” Erdoğan told reporters during his return trip from South Africa.
Recently, Erdoğan has hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who sought "reinvigoration" of the process with Russia, especially in prisoner swaps. On a question about U.S. President Donald Trump's peace proposal to end the conflict, Erdoğan said he conveyed Türkiye's stand on Ukraine on various occasions to President Trump. "We believe that a fair peace has no losers. Accomplishing a fair peace is through negotiations, through meetings. People are debating whether this new peace plan would be such a platform and whether the sides can agree upon it. I believe it is possible. We only need to discuss how it will move forward. If this peace plan answers to the sides' legitimate expectations and addresses their security needs, in a way that would not stir up a new phase of instability, it will be possible to reach a compromise. We believe this compromise can move forward with negotiations containing a positive agenda. If a platform that will satisfy everyone's demands is created, the door to a lasting solution will be opened. The launch of negotiations on proposals that will pave the way for a fair and lasting peace will definitely impact the process," Erdoğan said.
