Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called for an “immediate” end to the war in Ukraine in a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday.
“Erdoğan emphasized Turkey’s importance on the immediate cessation of the Russia-Ukraine conflicts through negotiations” and “thanked President Putin for his positive stance regarding the extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative,” according to a statement from Turkey’s Directorate of Communications.
The Black Sea Grain Initiative, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey in July, allows Ukrainian grain exports to travel safely through the Black Sea.
Russia agreed to renew the deal for another 60 days last weekend but warned that any further extension would require an easing of Western sanctions, according to Reuters.
While Turkey has largely maintained economic ties with Russia throughout its year-long war in Ukraine, Ankara ordered companies last month to stop moving goods to Russia authorized by the US and the European Union, Bloomberg reported.
Erdoğan’s appeal for a ceasefire and negotiations came on the heels of a similar call for an end to hostilities made by China and Belarus earlier this month. However, the two countries’ efforts have been largely viewed with skepticism by the West, as both appear to have drawn closer to Russia.
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