Ibrahim Kalin: "It is Russian shelling that continues this war and complicates any negotiations."

Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin blamed Russia for prolonging the war in Ukraine.

In his interview He told CNN Turk that Russian shelling is prolonging a full-scale war in Ukraine, making it harder to reach a ceasefire and a negotiated solution. Kalin noted that in a conversation with the Russian and Ukrainian presidents, Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on them to a mutual ceasefire:

“This shows that the war today tends to reach a stalemate, and as we see, neither side is able to win a decisive victory on the battlefield. But we will continue to work on a ceasefire on the battlefield especially around the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant. The nuclear power plant is the biggest security threat for everyone.”

Regarding Russia’s decision to declare a unilateral “ceasefire”, Kalin noted that “it is Russian shelling that continues this war and makes any negotiations difficult”, so Turkey’s calculation was that Ukraine would join the call and a longer truce would be established:

“But we will continue to repeat these calls, speaking about the facts on the ground. Right now, neither side is ready to lay down their arms and sit down at the negotiating table. And we are concerned that we will see a further escalation of the conflict in Ukraine over the next few months.”

As you know, Turkish President Erdogan spoke on the phone with Russian President Putin on Thursday, offering to back up calls for peace and unilateral negotiations. ceasefire announcement. In turn, Putin said that Russia is open to dialogue, but Kyiv must take into account “new territorial realities.”

In a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Erdogan said that Ankara is ready to take on the task of facilitating and mediating to establish a lasting peace between Russia and Ukraine.

From the very beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Turkey refused to impose sanctions against Russia, declaring its mediating role between the warring parties. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in December that Ankara expects to see a “clearer picture” of a ceasefire or a return to the negotiating table before spring 2023.

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