The Russian president confirmed, Vladimir PutinThursday, that Moscow opens to dialogue with Ukraine, provided that Kiev accepts “the new realities on the ground”, after the Russian military operation.
During a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who asked for a truce in Ukraine, Putin reiterated that “Russia is open to a serious dialogue on condition that the Kyiv authorities respect the well-known and repeatedly expressed requests, and take into account the new realities on the ground,” according to him. Kremlin statement.
grain accord
The statement added, “The Russian side has emphasized the destructive role of Western countries by supplying the Kiev regime with weapons and military equipment and providing it with information and operational targets.”
In addition, the two presidents discussed the implementation of the grain deal to lift the embargo on Ukrainian grain shipments across the Black Sea. The Kremlin said the two leaders discussed “lifting the embargo on food supplies and fertilizers from Russia” and of the need to “remove all barriers to Russian exports”, according to AFP.
A vision of a just solution
In turn, the Turkish presidency announced it on Thursday Erdoğan He told Putin in a phone call that peace efforts in the Russia-Ukraine conflict should be underpinned by a unilateral ceasefire and “a vision of a just solution”.
And he added in a statement to the text of the appeal: “President Erdogan has said that calls for peace and negotiations must be supported by a unilateral ceasefire and a vision of a just peace,” according to Reuters.
He also noted that Erdogan reminded Putin of the positive results of the grain corridor deal.
The role of the mediator
Interestingly, Erdogan and Putin have spoken to each other several times since the start of the Russian military operation in Ukraine last February.
Turkey has also played the role of mediator with the United Nations to conclude an agreement that would allow the export of grain from Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea.
