Turkey’s Erdogan offers to facilitate direct talks between Russia and Ukraine

Hürriyet reported the information.

According to a statement from the Turkish President's Office, the conversation covered bilateral relations between Turkey and France, as well as regional and global issues.

Read also: Macron outlines condition for Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Istanbul

"President Erdogan stated that a historic milestone has been reached in the efforts to end the war between Ukraine and Russia, emphasizing that this opportunity must be seized. He further declared that Turkey is ready to make any contribution, including facilitating negotiations, to achieve a ceasefire and lasting peace," the statement read.

In addition, Erdogan highlighted the importance of continuing cooperation to "initiate permanent peace talks between Ukraine and Russia and to ensure that Ukraine's recovery processes are handled with sensitivity."

• In a nighttime address on May 11, Russian leader Vladimir Putin claimed he was ready for direct talks with Ukraine in Turkey next week, but he dismissed the idea of a 30-day truce. In response, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would keep working with both sides and predicted that the coming week would be “great.”