The president of Turkey arrived in Ukraine for the first time since the beginning of the Russian invasion. According to the media in Ukraine, he initiates direct negotiations between Zelensky and Putin. Erdogan said a Ukrainian grain export initiative provides a “diplomatic window” for agreements to end the war in the future
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that negotiations with Russia are possible only if Russian soldiers leave the illegally occupied territory of Ukraine. He said these things after a meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the city of Lviv yesterday (Thursday). According to Zelenskiy, Erdogan said during the negotiations that an initiative to export Ukrainian grain provides a “diplomatic window” for agreements on ending the war in the future.
“I expressed my opinion to the President of Turkey that there is no faith in the Russian Federation. I am very surprised that the Russians are ready for some kind of peace. People who kill on a daily basis cannot hit our civilian cities, civilian infrastructure with cruise missiles, they cannot want peace. So first of all, it seems to me , they need to liberate our territories, and then it will be possible to move forward,” said Zelensky.
At the same time, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that he “believes that the war will end at the negotiating table.” Erdogan arrived in Ukraine for the first time since the beginning of the full invasion of the Russian Federation. He has met with Russian President Putin twice since February 24. The last meeting took place on August 5 in Sochi, Russia. On August 6, it became known that Erdogan offered Putin a meeting with Zelensky. He also repeatedly stated that Turkey is ready to mediate between Ukraine and Russia. CNN in Turkey cited sources in the Russian Federation that Putin hinted at the possibility of a meeting with Zelensky on the day of Erdogan’s visit to Sochi on August 5.
The President of Ukraine said after the visit that “the visit of the President of Turkey to Ukraine is a strong message of support from such a powerful country. During the meeting in Lviv, I discussed with Recep Tayyip Erdogan the possibility of improving the grain initiative, the situation around Zaporizhia and the nuclear extortion of the occupiers, theft Russia’s large-scale grain in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine. Issues of security cooperation were also discussed, I am sure that further expansion of cooperation between Ukraine and Turkey will strengthen both sides.”
After the meeting of the President of Ukraine with the President of Turkey, the two met with the Secretary General of the United Nations, they held a tripartite meeting in Lviv. In the statement of the President of Ukraine, it was said about the meeting: “President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres discussed during a tripartite meeting in Lviv the grain export initiative, Russia’s dangerous actions around the Zaporizhia nuclear plant, The issue of the defense and liberation of Ukraine. Prisoners and the establishment of a special court for the crime of Russian aggression against Ukraine.”