Ukraine calls for ‘fair negotiation’ to end the war with Russia

“Ukraine and Europe in a broad sense, including the European Union (EU), England and Türkiye, need to participate in dialogue and development to ensure the necessary security with the US related to the fate of the zone. Our area, “Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said at a press conference on February 18 in Ankara with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Zelensky criticized the talks between US and Russian officials in Saudi Arabs on the same day as “Ukraine’s negotiations but no representatives of Ukraine”. President Zelensky also announced the postponement of the visit to Saudi Arabia, which is scheduled to take place on February 19, to March 10.

President Erdogan said Türkiye was an ideal place to organize negotiations on ending wars with the participation of the United States, Russia and Ukraine. Erdogan said negotiations in 2022 between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul were “an important reference point, the foundation that the parties came to the nearest agreement”.

Leaders of Türkiye and Ukraine spoke a few hours after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held talks for 4.5 hours in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This is the first official meeting between the two countries since the Russian – Ukraine war broke out in February 2022.

Washington will join Moscow with the negotiating team to stop the Russian – Ukraine war. Rubio said that the US is aiming at a fair and sustainable solution, confirming that no one “is marginalized” and there will be a time when the EU needs to participate in the process.

Russia expressed a positive view of talks, determined that the two sides had listened and believed that the US had a better understanding of the country’s position. Mr. Lavrov said Russia protested any NATO member to bring troops to Ukraine in the framework of the ceasefire, calling this unacceptable.