Zelensky and Erdogan discussed accelerating peace talks

On the evening of May 30, an important telephone conversation took place between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. According to the press service of the Turkish president, the main focus of the conversation was on the issue of a peaceful end to the war between Russia and Ukraine.

President Erdogan reaffirmed Turkey's role as a mediator in the peace process and said that he considers it very important to organize a face-to-face meeting between the leaders of Russia and Ukraine as soon as possible. In his opinion, continuing the talks in Istanbul and discussing the possibility of a second round of ceasefire will pave the way for stability in the region.

Erdogan also stressed that after the talks between the two delegations are completed, Zelensky and Putin should have a direct conversation. He particularly emphasized the need for this meeting to be held without any delay.

Zelensky called the conversation "very meaningful and logical." According to him, the first round of talks in Istanbul was of great importance. "The prisoner exchange was the only success of this process, unfortunately. We need peace, and for this, first of all, a ceasefire is needed," Zelensky said.

The Ukrainian leader also said that negotiations are underway with Moscow about a possible new meeting and the conditions under which they could participate in it. It turned out that the Russian side proposed holding a new round of talks in Istanbul on June 2. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga said that Kiev was ready for this meeting, but that a decision to go to negotiations had not been made, without first presenting the text of the memorandum that Moscow had promised.

Russia, however, says that it intends to present the document only during the negotiations. Therefore, it is not yet clear whether the meeting in Istanbul on June 2 will take place. Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of the Russian president, announced that the Russian delegation had left for Istanbul for the talks and was ready to start the second round of talks on Monday morning.

Meanwhile, The Washington Post writes about the possible “diplomatic pressure” on Ukraine. According to the publication, the US may try to force Kiev to participate in the Istanbul talks. This could create an unfavorable political situation for Ukraine.

Diplomatic efforts for peace and stability in the region remain in the spotlight of the world community. The telephone conversation between Zelensky and Erdogan is considered the next important step in this process. Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!