Erdogan pointed out to Zelensky the need for a just peace in Ukraine

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine with a just peace. This was announced on May 15 by the Communications Department of the Republic of Turkey.

"President [Erdogan] stressed that at the current stage, the course of the <conflict> requires a solution through direct negotiations, and that reaching an agreement on a minimum common position is crucial to prevent further loss of life," the ministry said in a statement on the social network X (ex. Twitter).

Erdogan also told his Ukrainian counterpart that he had a historic opportunity to start peace talks with Russia.

Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine will begin soon in Istanbul. What the media is writing

Earlier in the day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called the current events with the negotiations between the delegations of Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul an intrigue. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova noted that the Russian delegation had arrived in Istanbul for talks with Ukrainian representatives and was ready for serious work.

On May 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated direct negotiations, inviting the Ukrainian side to resume dialogue on May 15 in Istanbul. Later, the Russian leader approved the composition of experts for negotiations with Ukraine. The delegation was headed by Vladimir Medinsky, Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation. In addition, the head of state held a meeting on the preparation of the upcoming negotiations.

Zelensky, in turn, sent a delegation headed by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov to a meeting with representatives of the Russian Federation. At the same time, according to the President of Ukraine, contacts are planned not only with Russia, but also with Turkey and the United States.