Erdogan said Turkey supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its “strategic partner Ukraine” and integration with “Euro-Atlantic institutions”. At the same time, he is determined to ensure that the war ends and that “a just peace” is negotiated. So Turkey is ready to host a peace conference in which Russia will also participate.
He spoke with Zelensky about the security of ports and shipping on the Black Sea, food security and the exchange of prisoners between Russia and Ukraine. Turkey can help make progress on these issues.
Zelensky insists on his peace plan
Zelensky thanked Erdogan for his support. He is interested in strengthening bilateral cooperation and protecting merchant ships in the Black Sea. However, he remained focused on his peace plan, which meant the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.
Zelensky visited Turkey
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskij has visited Turkey. He visited a shipyard in Istanbul where two warships are being built for the Ukrainian Navy. Zelensky later met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
It will be discussed internationally at a possible summit in Switzerland – but initially without Russia's participation, Zelensky stressed. “We don't see how we can invite people who prevent, destroy and kill everything.” A Russian representative may be invited to the next meeting once a peace path is agreed with Ukrainian allies in Switzerland.
Erdogan's balancing act
The Turkish president is trying to balance his close ties with Kiev and Moscow. On the one hand, Turkey, a NATO member, provides combat drones to Kiev, while on the other hand, it maintains trade relations with Moscow and sources most of its energy resources from Russia. Last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was in Turkey.
Erdogan has repeatedly offered to mediate between the two countries. After the Russian invasion in February 2022, Turkey hosted a meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian foreign ministers and failed talks between negotiators from the two countries.
A few months later, Turkey, along with the UN, brokered an agreement between Russia and Ukraine that allowed millions of tons of Ukrainian grain to be shipped across the Black Sea. However, Russia pulled out of the deal last year, citing restrictions on food and fertilizer exports. Ukraine now uses an alternative route for exports to the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria and Romania.
Kuleba: The “treat-by-drop” assist no longer works
Meanwhile, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba attended a meeting of foreign ministers of France, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia in Vilnius, Lithuania. “If things continue as they are, it will not be good for any of us,” Kuleba warned. Anyone who still believes the war will be confined to Ukraine should “wake up and read the history books.” Help “drop by” no longer works.
Ukraine needs “an unrestricted and timely delivery of all types of weapons and ammunition.” The Ukrainian foreign minister also spoke in favor of establishing international arms factories and military maintenance and training centers in his country. This would give Ukraine a logistical advantage. The EU pledged to support Ukraine with hundreds of thousands of artillery shells. But Europe lacked the manufacturing capacity and the powder to produce it.
