Erdoğan says Turkey ready to mediate between Ukraine and Russia

President Erdoğan has said that Turkey is ready to act as a mediator between Ukraine and Russia. "Whether it is as a mediator or speaking to them about the issue, by holding these talks with Ukraine and Mr. Putin, God willing, we want to have a part in the solution of this," he said.

Tuesday November 30 2021 10:50 am

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visits positions of armed forces near the frontline with Russian-backed separatists during his working trip in Donbass region, Ukraine April 8, 2021.

Duvar English - Reuters

Turkey is ready to act as a mediator between Ukraine and Russia, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Nov. 29, despite having angered Moscow by selling armed drones to Kyiv earlier this year.

U.S., NATO and Ukrainian officials say Russian forces have massed on the border of Ukraine, which is battling Moscow-backed separatists who control part of its territory in the east.

Ukraine's military intelligence has said Moscow was preparing for an attack in early 2022. Russia has dismissed the comments as U.S. propaganda.

NATO member Turkey has good ties with both Kyiv and Moscow, though it opposes Russian policies in Syria and Libya. It has forged energy and defense cooperation with Russia, while opposing Russia's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula.

Speaking to reporters on a flight from Turkmenistan, Erdoğan said that Turkey wanted peace in the Black Sea region and was discussing the issue with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin frequently.

"Whether it is as a mediator or speaking to them about the issue, by holding these talks with Ukraine and Mr. Putin, God willing, we want to have a part in the solution of this," he said.

Asked about Erdoğan's remarks, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment, but Kyiv welcomed the offer.

"We will welcome any efforts that can help us to put an end to this war, to return Ukraine's territories which are currently under Russian control," Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba told a news briefing.

He also said that if Russia decides to invade, Ukraine is ready to repel any attack.

Last month, Moscow said the Turkish drones risked having a destabilizing impact in east Ukraine, after Kyiv deployed one to hit a position controlled by Russian-backed separatists. Turkey has said it cannot be blamed for Ukraine's use of the drones.

Topics Turkey-Russia Kyiv Drones Donbas Eastern Ukraine