Turkey says Western pressure on Russia over Ukraine

Russia will be pressured by some influential circles from the West during the negotiations on the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine, as the outcome will determine the world order. Dogu Perinçek, the secretary general of Turkey's Vatan (Motherland) party, said on February 17.

"I believe that the positive mood in a number of media and social networks about the phone talks between the leaders of the US and Russian Federation is a bit premature. One should not take the phone talks between the two world leaders as a solution to all issues on Ukraine," he told RIA Novosti.

According to him, everything will be done by the West to put pressure on Russia at the upcoming talks. However, Turkey still expects to secure peace in the near future. Perinçek also added that the talks will determine the new world order.

Sense of contact: Putin and Trump agree on diplomatic solution to Ukraine crisis

In an hour and a half, they also discussed prisoner exchanges, the situation in the Middle East and the Iran nuclear deal

Earlier, on February 16, Steve Whitkoff, the U.S. President's special envoy for the Middle East, said that a U.S. delegation was leaving for Saudi Arabia on February 16 for talks with Russia. At the same time, he did not agree with the thesis that Ukraine was not involved in the negotiations.

On February 13, US President Donald Trump announced a meeting of representatives of Russia, the United States and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia. The mass media reported that senior representatives of Moscow and Washington might meet in the Arab kingdom in late February to prepare a summit of the two presidents.