ISTANBUL (REUTERS) – Turkey’s overseas minister mentioned in an interview printed on Sunday (March 20) that Russia and Ukraine have been nearing settlement on “critical” points and he was longing for a ceasefire if the 2 sides didn’t backtrack from progress achieved to date.
Russian forces invaded Ukraine on Feb 24. President Vladimir Putin has referred to as Russia’s actions a “special operation” meant to demilitarise Ukraine and purge it of what he sees as harmful nationalists. Ukraine and the West say Mr Putin launched an aggressive battle of selection.
Foreign ministers Sergei Lavrov of Russia and Mr Dmytro Kuleba of Ukraine met within the Turkish resort city of Antalya earlier this month with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu additionally attending. The discussions didn’t yield concrete outcomes.
But Mr Cavusoglu, who additionally travelled to Russia and Ukraine final week for talks with Mr Lavrov and Mr Kuleba, advised Turkish every day Hurriyet that there had been “rapprochement in the positions of both sides on important subjects, critical subjects”.
“We can say we are hopeful for a ceasefire if the sides do not take a step back from the current positions,” he mentioned, with out elaborating on the problems.
Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin, chatting with Al Jazeera tv, mentioned the 2 sides have been getting nearer on 4 key points.
He cited Russia’s demand for Ukraine to surrender ambitions to affix Nato, demilitarisation, what Russia has known as “de-nazification”, and the safety of the Russian language in Ukraine.
Ukraine and the West have dismissed Russian references to “neo-Nazis” in Ukraine’s democratically elected management as baseless propaganda, and Mr Kalin mentioned such references have been offensive to Kyiv.
Kyiv and Moscow reported some progress in talks final week towards a political components that might assure Ukraine’s safety, whereas retaining it exterior Nato, although every sides accused the opposite of dragging issues out.
Mr Kalin mentioned a everlasting ceasefire may come solely by way of a gathering between Mr Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
But he mentioned Mr Putin felt that positions on the “strategic issues” of Crimea and Donbass weren’t shut sufficient for a gathering.
Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 whereas a part of the jap industrial Donbass area was seized by Russian-backed separatist forces that 12 months.
Nato member Turkey shares a maritime border with Ukraine and Russia within the Black Sea, has good relations with each and has supplied to mediate between them.
It has voiced help for Ukraine, however has additionally opposed far-reaching Western sanctions imposed on Moscow over the invasion.
While forging shut ties with Russia on vitality, defence and commerce and relying closely on Russian vacationers, Turkey has bought drones to Ukraine, angering Moscow.
Turkey additionally opposes Russian insurance policies in Syria and Libya, in addition to Moscow’s annexation of Crimea.
President Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly mentioned Turkey is not going to abandon its relations with Russia or Ukraine, saying Ankara’s potential to talk to each side was an asset.
The post Turkey says Russia and Ukraine nearing agreement on ‘critical’ issues first appeared on Umorr.
