Erdogan’s spokesman admits situation in Ukraine will escalate in the coming months
The situation in Ukraine may soon escalate, leading to a longer crisis, Turkish President Erdogan’s spokesman said. In this regard, Ankara will continue its efforts to negotiate and exchange prisoners, he added
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine could escalate in the coming months, in this regard, Turkey intends to continue its efforts on negotiations and prisoner exchange, Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalın said on Twitter.
In his view, continued fighting means more destruction and a deeper and longer crisis, and that “is not good for anyone.”
“Turkey will continue its efforts on negotiations, cease-fire, prisoner exchange, nuclear security and grain exports,” Calyn wrote.
The day before, on January 5, during a telephone conversation, Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered Russian President Vladimir Putin a “unilateral cessation of hostilities and a fair settlement of differences” with Ukraine. He also reminded his Russian counterpart of the positive results previously achieved to resolve the Ukrainian-Russian conflict – a grain deal, a large-scale exchange of prisoners and negotiations on the formation of a security zone around the Zaporizhzhya NPP.
Putin in his conversation with Erdogan in turn confirmed Russia’s openness to a serious dialogue, but only if the Ukrainian side fulfills “known and repeatedly voiced requirements and takes into account new territorial realities,” the Kremlin press service reported.
Among the conditions previously mentioned by the Russian side were Ukraine’s non-aligned and non-nuclear status, as well as the recognition of Crimea and the regions that joined after the referendums as part of Russia.