Turkey is concerned about the pause in negotiations with Russia
Turkey is concerned about the suspension of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia. According to the Ukrainian ambassador, Turkish diplomats understand that the pause in the talks was caused by the Russian side’s position, although they officially avoid using the term “negative.”
This was stated by Nariman Dzhelyal, Ukraine’s ambassador to Turkey.
The diplomat explained that the Turkish side understands the real reason for the halt in the dialogue.
“They view it with concern. It’s probably best not to use the term ‘negative,’ because Turkish diplomats generally understand very well what is happening—that this freeze or pause in the negotiations is caused by the Russian side,” the ambassador noted.
The only area of progress made despite the pause was the release of Ukrainian prisoners of war and some civilians.
“We were releasing or exchanging our people both before and after that, but there has indeed been a significant increase in numbers,” said Jelal.
According to the ambassador, Ankara is constantly urging both sides to reach an agreement. This issue has become particularly acute due to the deteriorating security situation in the Black Sea.
The most sensitive issue for the Turks has been the deaths of their sailors due to attacks on commercial vessels.
“However, we’ll be honest: the Russians’ constant strikes on our port infrastructure and commercial vessels are forcing us to respond in kind,” the ambassador explained.
He added that such an escalation does not sit well with Turkish partners, which is why they are persistently proposing meetings and supporting dialogue.
Celal noted that Kyiv is not opposed to dialogue. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly stated—notably in conversations with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan—that he is ready to meet with the Kremlin leader in Turkey.
According to the ambassador, any negotiations below the level of a meeting between the two countries’ leaders are currently considered ineffective.
“Ultimately, we’re running up against Russia’s unwillingness to negotiate. The Turks are ready, we’re ready, the Americans are ready. Everyone is ready, except for the Kremlin leader himself and his inner circle,” Djelal concluded in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.
As a reminder, Erdogan and Putin held closed-door talks on ending the war in Ukraine.
Earlier, Putin claimed two fictitious victories for Russia.
Putin also threatened Ukraine with new strikes on its energy infrastructure.
During the summit in Bishkek, the Russian delegation, led by dictator Vladimir Putin, held a meeting with the Chinese delegation, where the Kremlin leader attempted to paint a rosy picture of a shared future for Russia and China for Xi Jinping. But it all turned out rather pitifully.
