Speaking to journalists on the plane back from the BRICS meeting in Kazan, Recep Erdogan commented on his meeting with Russian President Putin and responded to the question of whether he noticed a new will in Putin to end the war in Ukraine, BTA reported.
"As in our meeting with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky in the US, we also saw in Putin a desire to establish a permanent ceasefire," Erdogan said, quoted by Turkish private television NTV.
"In addition to the revival of the Black Sea Grain Corridor (corridor for the supply of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea - ed.) and the clearance of mines, during our meeting with Mr. Putin and his delegation, we saw that there are expectations and regarding the exchange of prisoners of war," he added.
Erdogan emphasized that Turkey will continue to do everything possible to solve the problems through diplomacy.
"It is our desire to start peace talks between the two sides as soon as possible and find the way to a favorable outcome. We will continue to work tirelessly to achieve this," he said, stressing that "war has no winners and peace has no losers." "This war will surely end, our aspiration is to end it without more blood and tears,", Erdogan added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, had proposed resuming contacts for supplies through the Black Sea, but added that he had not yet had time to familiarize himself with the submitted documents, Reuters reported.
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Putin told Russian state television that Russia would not make any concessions on the conflict and that it was premature to talk about any agreements with Kiev. According to him, Ukraine has twice already rejected Russian initiatives for a ceasefire.
"Russia does not refuse contacts with Ukraine on certain initiatives, but it will not make compromises with its interests," Putin emphasized, quoted by TASS. He added that he will soon familiarize himself with the proposals conveyed through the mediation of Turkey. "Let's see, we have never rejected it (the possibility of agreements with Kiev - note TASS). "We have always assumed that Russian interests must be respected in any agreement," the President of Russia emphasized.