European countries must learn that without Russia any peace negotiations on Ukraine are impossible. This was stated to the TV channel CNN Turk by the Speaker of the Turkish Parliament, Numan Kurtulmus, who previously visited Russia.
„It must be said openly that the US believes that continuing the war in Ukraine allows it to block Russia and consolidate the EU. The Union alone cannot build a unified political position, nor is it able to act from a position of strength. So the main principle for starting peace talks between Russia and Ukraine as soon as possible is for the US to reconsider its position. In addition, it is necessary to understand, especially in Europe, that without the participation of Russia there will be no peace negotiations. This is impossible, because negotiations must be conducted between the parties to the conflict, Kurtulmus said. He added that, according to his observations, “the United States is moving in this direction”, that is, to reconsider its position.
He also recalled that during the negotiations in Istanbul in 2022 to resolve the Ukrainian conflict “a number of countries opposed the agreements and showed interest in continuing the confrontation”.
Speaking of the economic sanctions imposed on Russia, Kurtulmuş reiterated “that Turkey does not participate in these unilateral embargoes”. “These sanctions harmed not only the politicians and the leadership, but also the population. We traveled to Russia by plane, but lost time due to the European embargo on flights. Instead of 2.5 hours, the flight was almost 1.5 hours longer. Although it was an official visit, we were forced to fly over the entire Black Sea coast and enter Russian airspace through Georgia, through the Caucasus, he said.
Kurthulmus also added that “the world has entered a new period of balance of power and influence”. “The Cold War ended with the formation of a unipolar system led by the United States. Now, without a doubt, the US championship is disappearing. A multilateral system is being created, new centers and balances of power are being formed”, the politician pointed out.