The international ministers of Russia and Ukraine have arrived in Turkey for face-to-face talks set for Thursday morning, officers mentioned, within the first high-level contact between the 2 sides since Moscow attacked its ex-Soviet neighbor.
Officers from Kyiv and Moscow have held a number of rounds of discussions in Belarus, however the assembly within the southern metropolis of Antalya represents the primary time Russia has despatched a minister for talks on the disaster.
Ukrainian International Minister Dmytro Kuleba had landed in Antalya for talks “on Russia ceasing its hostilities and ending its conflict in opposition to Ukraine,” international ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko tweeted Wednesday night.
His Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov has additionally arrived for the talks, a Turkish official informed AFP.
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Russian International Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a information convention following talks together with his Kyrgyz counterpart Ruslan Kazakbayev in Moscow, Russia March 5, 2022. Photograph by Sergei Ilnitsky/Pool through Reuters |
Dialogue between Kyiv and Moscow has to this point yielded a number of native ceasefires and humanitarian corridors to evacuate residents, however Russia has been accused of breaching these agreements.
Kuleba confirmed in a Fb video that he would journey to Turkey for the talks however mentioned his expectations had been “restricted”, as Russia continues its brutal bombing marketing campaign and siege of main cities.
He mentioned the success of the talks would rely upon “what directions and directives Lavrov is beneath” from the Kremlin.
“I’m not pinning any nice hopes on them, however we are going to try to get essentially the most out of” the talks with efficient preparation, he mentioned.
The sit-down comes as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has pushed for Ankara to play a mediation position.
“We’re working to cease this disaster from reworking right into a tragedy,” Erdogan mentioned Wednesday.
“I hope the assembly between the ministers will open the best way to a everlasting ceasefire.”
The Russian and Ukrainian ministers can be joined at Thursday’s assembly by Turkish International Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, with NATO member Turkey eager to take care of robust relations with each side regardless of the battle.
It’s the first journey overseas for Lavrov since Russia was remoted by the Western world with biting sanctions which have additionally focused President Vladimir Putin’s long-serving high diplomat.
