Rubio thanked Turkey for assistance in possible negotiations between Russia and Ukraine

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed gratitude to Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan for his assistance in organizing possible direct talks between Russia and Ukraine. This is on Monday, May 12, follows from a statement posted on the website of the United States Department of State, with reference to the head of the department's press service, Tammy Bruce.

It is specified that on this day Rubio and Fidan had a telephone conversation.

"The Secretary of State thanked Turkey for organizing and facilitating direct talks between Russia and Ukraine," the statement said.

Taming the fire: is Kiev ready for direct negotiations with the Russian Federation

So far, the Ukrainian authorities continue to issue ultimatums, repeating threats from Europe.

Earlier in the day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held telephone talks with his Turkish counterpart. During the conversation, the ministers touched upon the topic of potential Russian-Ukrainian contacts.

Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated direct talks on May 11, inviting the Ukrainian side to resume dialogue on May 15 in Istanbul three years later. US President Donald Trump called on Ukraine to immediately accept the Russian proposal, after which Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky announced that he would come to Turkey for talks with the Russian president.