Erdogan helps Ukraine’s bid for NATO and says Putin will go to Turkey subsequent month – POLITICO

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan mentioned early Saturday that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will go to Turkey subsequent month, and burdened his enthusiasm for peace talks by which Ankara might play a decisive position.

This was said throughout a go to to Istanbul by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who known as him his “pricey buddy”.

After greater than two hours of talks at Istanbul’s Vahiddin Palace, Erdogan additionally backed Kiev’s membership in NATO and provided a staunch protection of Ukraine’s independence, declaring that Russia’s invasion violated worldwide regulation.

Noting that Turkey had made the “greatest effort” of any nation in earlier diplomatic makes an attempt and emphasizing Ankara’s position in a deal to permit Ukraine to export grain from the Black Sea, Erdogan insisted that Turkey had the “most honest want” to see Kiev and Moscow return to the negotiating desk. .

Zelensky additionally famous that “Turkey is able to take a number one position” within the Kiev peace plan.

Each Erdoğan and Zelensky had hoped the grain export deal can be prolonged quickly, and the Turkish chief added that it might make sense to start out renewing it for longer intervals of time than each two months. Erdogan mentioned he would initially focus on with Putin the concept of ​​extending the settlement to 3 months, however then steered that the complete program be for 2 years to assist battle starvation in poor nations.

The Turkish president made a strategic balancing act over the course of the struggle. whereas broad Condemns the illegality of Putin’s invasion And supplying Bayraktar drones to Ukrainian forces, Turkey has additionally emerged as a key path to avoiding sanctions and can’t afford to alienate Moscow attributable to its heavy dependence on Russia for vitality.

Erdogan was fast to indicate his assist for Putin throughout Yevgeny Prigozhin’s failed revolt final month, simply as Putin backed him amid Turkey’s still-so-mysterious coup try in 2016.