Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday expressed his “principle” support for a 10-point peace plan presented by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in 2022 that calls for the unconditional withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, but asked for “more diplomacy,” Russian Foreign Minister Serhiy Lavrov is expected to make an official two-day visit to Turkey on Friday.

“I believe that, at least by joint efforts, it is necessary to initiate the establishment of general parameters of peace. In this aspect, in principle, we support the ten-point peace plan proposed by the Ukrainian president,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a video address to the summit of the Balkan countries, which took place in the capital of Albania, Tirana, and in which the Ukrainian President also participated, reports EFE. and AFP provided by Agerpres.

While Zelensky insisted that Ukraine needed to continue receiving money, arms and ammunition faster to counter the Russian army, which has returned to the offensive, asking for military help, including from Balkan states, Erdogan stressed the importance of resuming talks that his country hosted them in Istanbul at the start of the war launched by Russia on February 24, 2022, but they were suspended at the end of the following month to no avail.

“I am of the opinion that we must allow diplomacy and dialogue to end the war through a just and durable peace. To achieve this goal, it is extremely important to use diplomatic channels at the highest level,” said the Turkish president.

Erdogan reminded that Turkey “supports the independence, sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of Ukraine”, recalled its numerous attempts to act as a mediator between Kyiv and Moscow, and declared his readiness to accept new Russian-Ukrainian peace talks.

A corresponding peace plan announced by Zelensky in late 2022 calls for the withdrawal of all Russian troops from Ukraine, the restoration of Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders, and the creation of an international tribunal to deal with Russian war crimes, points that Russia considers to be effectively a demand for surrender, which is why he rejected the plan.

For its part, Russia has asked Kyiv to come to terms with the loss of Crimea and Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia, and reprimanded Ukrainian officials for walking out of peace talks in Istanbul in March 2022 because Washington asked them to do so.

Sergey Lavrov at the diplomatic forum in Turkey

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will visit Turkey on Friday and Saturday, where he will take part in a diplomatic forum in Antalya, as well as hold a meeting with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan, the foreign ministries of Moscow and Ankara reported on Wednesday. .

Lavrov also participated in the same forum in March 2022, shortly after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and his last official visit to Turkey dates from April 2023. The Diplomatic Forum in Antalya gathers heads of state and government, ministers, diplomats, businessmen and researchers.

President Erdogan is trying to maintain balanced relations with Kyiv and Moscow while the war in Ukraine continues. However, Turkey angered Russia after it handed over the commanders of the Ukrainian Azov battalion captured by the Russian army to Kyiv last July following President Zelenskyi’s visit to Istanbul. These prisoners were supposed to remain in Turkey until the end of the war on the basis of a tripartite agreement concluded between Ankara, Kiev and Moscow, according to which the latter accepted their release from custody. Russia also expressed dissatisfaction with the supply of Turkish Bayraktar drones to Ukraine.

On the other hand, Turkey is criticized by Western countries for its role in circumventing the sanctions imposed on Russia. At the same time, Turkey took an active part in the export of Ukrainian grain through the protected maritime corridor in the Black Sea on the basis of an agreement also concluded with the mediation of the UN, but from which Russia withdrew, accusing it of non-compliance with the component of the agreement regarding Russian exports of agricultural products and fertilizers, which were indirectly affected by western sanctions.

In his speech on Wednesday at a summit held in Albania, the Turkish president also spoke about the agreement, signaling that he is in contact with the UN about “a new agreement, with commitments on security in the Black Sea”.

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