The Kremlin confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed in a phone call Thursday the latest situation in Ukraine, where Moscow is conducting a military operation.
In a statement, the Russian presidency confirmed that the two presidents discussed “various aspects of the developments in the situation around the Russian special military operation to protect Donbass,” adding that Putin briefed Erdogan on the progress of talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators.
“During the dialogue, the focus was on the human dimension, as Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his gratitude for the (Russian) assistance in evacuating Turkish nationals from the territory of Ukraine and securing the exit of ships loaded with Turkish cargo from Russian ports overlooking the Sea of Azov,” the statement said.
The statement noted that during the call, the two presidents reviewed issues related to the bilateral agenda and praised the results of the recent talks in Antalya and Moscow between Russian and Turkish Foreign Ministers Sergey Lavrov and Mevlut Cavusoglu.
The statement continued: “The endeavor was expressed to continue to develop mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation, including the implementation of strategic projects in the field of energy.”
The Turkish side had previously confirmed that Erdogan had expressed during the call his country’s readiness to host a summit meeting between Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart, Vladimir Zelensky, in order to put an end to the fighting in Ukraine.
Cavusoglu: Our hopes are rising for a ceasefire in Ukraine
In addition, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said today, Thursday, that hopes for a ceasefire in Ukraine increased following his visit to Kyiv and Moscow.
Prior to his meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmitriy Kuleba in the city of Lviv, Cavusoglu added: “Our hopes for a ceasefire increase following our visits to Russia and Ukraine,” adding that “Ukraine suggested that Turkey be one of the guarantors, and Russia did not object to that.”
It is noteworthy that the Russian president stressed that his country will not kneel in the face of Western pressure and will not stop the special military operation to protect Donbass until Kyiv is disarmed.
