Turkey will continue shuttle diplomacy for a peaceful resolution of the Ukrainian conflict, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on the eve of his two-day visit to Ukraine, which begins on Thursday.
“We will continue shuttle diplomacy. We are making sincere efforts to achieve peace. We are a country that can go to Russia and then to Ukraine within a week. This is a very important sign of respect for our country and our president [Tayyip Erdogan]. We are trying to use this opportunity to establish peace in our region,” Fidan told Milliyet newspaper.
Before his visit to Kyiv, the Turkish Foreign Minister visited Moscow on May 26-27, where he was received by Russian President Vladimir Putin. He also held talks with presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Fidan reaffirmed Turkey’s readiness to host a new round of talks on the Ukrainian issue and to facilitate a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Moscow.
The Russian Foreign Minister said on Wednesday that the Russian delegation led by Medinsky is ready to present a memorandum from Russia to Ukraine on all aspects of overcoming the root causes of the crisis on June 2 in Istanbul. According to the Turkish Foreign Minister, comprehensive efforts are needed to achieve lasting peace in Ukraine. “We have some formulas, we are presenting them to the parties. Of course, one of the most important factors that will determine the steps of the parties is their ability to withstand.” “In social, economic, military terms,” Fidan noted. “The Russians are now preparing the conditions for a ceasefire as the next stage, they will complete them today or tomorrow and send them to the other side.” “Perhaps there will be some progress after that,” he added, suggesting the possibility of reaching an agreement on a long-term ceasefire.