Turkey’s presidential spokesman emphasized the importance of facilitating a “strategic meeting” between Ukraine’s and Russia’s leaders to reach a permanent cease-fire on Saturday.
Turkey is attempting to bring “various views and channels together to bring an end to this battle,” according to Ibrahim Kalin of Al Jazeera news.
Continuing to cite “”The very first political level meeting took place in Antalya, at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, with the presence of our foreign minister,” Kalin stated of the “technical” negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in Belarus. And now we need a high-level meeting between the two presidents, namely President (Vladimir) Putin and President (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy.”
According to Kalin, strategic questions concerning the territorial and political-legal status of Donbas on Crimea are likely to be “handled at a leaders’ level.”
“We’re hoping for more agreement on these matters and that this summit takes place sooner rather than later because we all want this war to stop,” he said.
Kalin stated that a prospective peace deal may be reached anytime soon “It is feasible, but when and how will it happen? That is the essential issue. It will have to happen eventually. Even if no final written agreement has been reached, the negotiation teams are coming closer.”
“A peace accord, a permanent peace, a permanent cease-fire can only be reached through that strategic level meeting,” he said.
“There is no way to condone, tolerate, or justify this war,” the Turkish official said, adding that his country supports Ukraine’s “territorial integrity, sovereignty, and political unity.”
Meanwhile, he stated unequivocally that “We must also maintain open channels of communication with Russia, attempting to comprehend their security concerns that prompted them to behave in this manner. Even though, as I have stated, that is not justifiable, we must realize in the long term.”
According to Kalin, the war has two sides for Russia: one is the military aspect, which is currently taking place on the ground, and the other is the economic side.
“The sanctions, which are wreaking havoc on Russia’s economy and capacity to fund the war. And, of course, there will be serious ramifications in the long run. I believe President Putin is evaluating all of these options, looking at different ways to strike a settlement that will keep Russia in a strong position while also forcing it to accept a peace deal “Kalin stated.
He made the observation that “”We need to focus on the core concerns, strategic issues, and political dynamics that have brought this war out,” he said, adding that “psychologizing this whole situation will not assist.” I believe we should concentrate on that rather than egos.”
“I believe that the two leaders, Zelenskyy and Putin, will put aside their personal concerns or proclivities because we all know that they don’t have much of a love affair or chemistry. That is self-evident, but I believe they will put their disagreements aside and prioritize the interests of their countries and nations.”
According to the UN, at least 847 civilians have been killed and 1,399 injured in Ukraine since the start of the conflict, while conditions on the ground make it difficult to verify the exact figure.
According to the UN refugee agency, more than 3.32 million people have fled to neighboring nations.