Erdoğan, Zelenskyy discuss latest developments in Ukraine war

Turkey's president has explained his country's "active and principled policy" to solve the crisis, according to a statement by the Presidency Communications Directorate.

İstanbul

Erdoğan, Zelenskyy discuss latest developments in Ukraine war

Photo: AA/File

In a phone call yesterday (March 26), the presidents of Turkey and Ukraine discussed the situation on the ground in the Russia-Ukraine war, as well as the negotiations to end the conflict.

During the call, which came a day after the NATO leaders' summit in Brussels, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told his counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy that at the event, he had reiterated Turkey's support for Ukraine's territorial integrity, the Communications Directorate said in a statement.

Erdoğan also told Zelenskyy that during his bilateral meetings with the other attending leaders, he had explained Turkey's "active and principled policy" and "efficient diplomatic efforts" to solve the crisis, according to the directorate.

"President Erdoğan stressed that Turkiye had provided all the help within its power during this process," it added.

After Thursday's extraordinary summit, NATO released a joint statement saying it would accelerate its transformation for "a more dangerous strategic reality."

"Russia's war against Ukraine has shattered peace in Europe and is causing enormous human suffering and destruction," it said.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine

On February 24, explosions were reported in several Ukrainian provinces, including the capital Kyiv, after Russia's President Vladimir Putin announced a 'special military operation' in the Donbas region.

Tensions had started escalating late last year when Ukraine, the US and its allies accused Russia of amassing tens of thousands of troops on the border with Ukraine. They claimed Russia was preparing to invade its western neighbor, which was consistently rejected by Moscow.

Defying threats of sanctions by the West, Moscow officially recognized Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states in late February, followed by the start of the invasion of Ukraine.

President Vladimir Putin said the operation aims to protect people "subjected to genocide" by Kyiv and to "demilitarize and de-Nazify" Ukraine, while calling on the Ukrainian army to lay down its arms.

At least 1,081 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since the start of the war, and more than 1,700 others have been injured, according to the UN estimates.

More than 3.7 million Ukrainians have also fled to neighboring countries, with over 6.5 million more displaced inside the country, according to the UN refugee agency.

(VK)