Turkey is again acting as a mediator between Ukraine and Russia as delegations meet in Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul for talks on Tuesday. Ukrainian media reported that the Ukrainian delegation has reached for talks and Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivered the opening remarks.
“Continuing the war will not benefit anyone. Restoring peace will benefit both your two countries and others. You, as a delegation, have a historical responsibility for the decisions that are being made today,” the Turkish president said.
Turkey hosted the foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum earlier this month. The talks did not lead to any concrete results barring the agreement on safe evacuation of civilians.
Earlier on Monday, the Kremlin said that at this point talks between Russian president Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky would be counter-productive. Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba ahead of the talks in Turkey said that the minimum aim is to solve humanitarian issues while the primary objective will also be to reach a ceasefire and a stable agreement on it. He highlighted that both sides continue to disagree over several issues.
“Ukraine will not give up its sovereignty, territories and people. If Russia again speaks in the language of ultimatums and propaganda clichés, the negotiations will end with nothing,” Kuleba said.
Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, however, said that both leaders can meet once both delegations achieve some progress. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov did not open up about what both delegations are expected to discuss in Turkey. He, however, acknowledged that there has been no progress during the talks held previously.
Meanwhile, all eyes are on Turkey who are playing mediator between Russia and Ukraine. Turkey has interest in the war on Ukraine due to Crimean Tatars, who share linguistic and cultural links with Turkey, as well as strong ties with Istabul. The Crimean Tatars opposed the annexation of Crimea back in 2014. The war in Ukraine also allows Erdogan to go closer to the US and the West.
Turkey also bats for Ukraine’s sovereignty and provided Bayraktar drones to the Ukrainian armed forces though now it is reluctant to send more help. Syria also signed the Russian S-400 missile defence system disappointing the US and its allies in 2020. It provides an opportunity to Erdogan to shine at the world stage after being isolated for some time.
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