Russian, Ukrainian FMs to meet in Turkey on Thursday
March 7, 2022, 5:57 pm

Russian, Ukrainian FMs to meet in Turkey on Thursday

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The Xinhua reported, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday that the foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine will meet in Turkey's southern province of Antalya on Thursday, on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomatic Forum.

During a press conference, the diplomat noted that the meeting would be held in a tripartite format, as part of Turkey's "intense effort" to bring both sides together.

Cavusoglu said: "Russian Foreign Minister (Sergei) Lavrov said that he was ready to attend the Antalya Diplomacy Forum. Ukrainian Foreign Minister (Dmytro) Kuleba also announced that he will attend." He hoped that the meeting "will be a turning point."

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova on Monday confirmed that Lavrov and Kuleba are planning "a contact" in Antalya, and the meeting was agreed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin during their recent phone conversation.

Russia announces ceasefire, opens humanitarian corridors in Ukraine on March 7 (File photo: Euromaidan Press)

Erdogan was quoted in a statement by the Turkish presidency as saying that Turkey is ready to contribute to resolving the Ukraine crisis by peaceful means as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, according to the Ukrainian UNIAN news agency, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said that Kiev is exploring the possibility of such a meeting in Turkey.

Damascus announces support for Putin's army in its war against Ukraine

The Xinhua noted that scholars, politicians and representatives of international organizations are expected to join in this year's diplomatic forum from Friday to Sunday, ahead of which Turkey will also host the 8th Istanbul Mediation Conference in Antalya on Thursday.

Source: xinhua

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.