Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan emphasized the importance of including both Russia and Ukraine in talks to end the ongoing conflict between the two nations. Erdogan stated that a just and lasting peace can only be achieved when all relevant parties are represented at the negotiating table.
Highlighting the shortcomings of previous peace talks that excluded Russia, Erdogan noted that such exclusions had hindered the attainment of the desired outcomes. He further emphasized that recent talks that excluded Ukraine must also involve the country for the new process to yield positive results.
Erdogan's remarks followed the exclusion of Ukrainian officials from recent US-Russia talks on the conflict. US President Donald Trump, commenting on the talks held at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, expressed optimism about Russia's willingness to engage in constructive actions.
Notably, Erdogan disclosed that he had engaged in discussions with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky to facilitate dialogue and promote a balanced approach towards achieving lasting peace.
As a nation trusted by both Russia and Ukraine for its impartial stance, Turkey pledged to exert its utmost efforts to contribute to the establishment of a sustainable and equitable peace agreement.
