Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to visit Turkey in February and meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, where the two leaders will discuss Ukraine and other issues, TASS reports on January 29, citing Putin’s adviser Yuri Ushakov, he writes. Independent Kyiv.

Putin’s international visits have been reduced since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant for his arrest in March 2023 for his role in the deportation of Ukrainian children. Turkey is not a party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, that is, it is not obliged to detain Putin.

Turkey, which positions itself as a mediator between Ukraine and Russia, played a crucial role in the negotiations on the grain agreement, which allowed the resumption of sea trade from Ukrainian ports in July 2022.

Since the agreement collapsed in July 2023 after Russia unilaterally withdrew, Ankara has been in contact with Kiev and Moscow discussing options for its renewal.

Erdogan visited Russia in September 2023 and met with Putin to discuss the grain deal and other issues.

Ushakov told TASS that the two leaders would discuss Ukraine, including a possible peace agreement, but did not go into details.

With the exception of failed negotiations in the spring of 2022, there have been no further direct peace talks between Ukraine and Russia. Kyiv categorically stated that only the complete withdrawal of Russia can lead to the resumption of negotiations.

Russia has reportedly signaled in recent months that it is ready to discuss a possible peace deal for a full-scale war in Ukraine. But the ceasefire that Putin wants would mean that Russia would keep its illegally occupied territories in Ukraine, where the population is kidnapped and executed.

“He is really willing to stop at the current positions,” a former senior Russian official told the New York Times. “But he doesn’t want to back down,” the former official added.

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