Western countries and the Kiev government are not seeking peace in Ukraine, and, therefore, peace efforts by any country, including Turkey, are unlikely to succeed, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interciew with the Hurriyet newspaper.
"At the moment, our opponents do not appear to want peace. Ukraine’s reaction to President Vladimir Putin’s peace initiative proposed in June was an invasion of the Kursk Region by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, along with airstrikes on targets in other border areas," Lavrov said commenting on prospects for Turkey’s mediation in the crisis.
"Washington and its allies continue to provide extensive support to Kiev, discuss the possibility of using Western long-range missiles for strikes deep into Russian territory. Vladimir Zelensky has not revoked his order prohibiting negotiations with Moscow. Given these circumstances, it seems unlikely that any country, including Turkey, will succeed in mediation efforts," he continued.
However, Turkey’s military cooperation with Ukraine raises eyebrows against the backdrop of Ankara’s efforts to mediate the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, Lavrov continued.
"Regrettably, Ankara continues its military-technical cooperation with the Kiev regime. Turkish weapons are being used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces to kill Russian soldiers and civilians, which is perplexing in light of the T·rkish leadership’s statements of readiness to offer mediation services," he said.
At the same time, he noted that Russia valued Turkey’s mediation efforts.
"We appreciate Turkey’s efforts to help resolve the Ukrainian crisis. The Turkish government played a crucial role by offering the Istanbul platform for consultations with representatives from Kiev in the spring of 2022 and facilitating the grain deal. However, the Istanbul negotiations were ultimately undermined by the Anglo-Saxons, who prevented Vladimir Zelensky from reaching agreements that could have stopped hostilities and ensured the balance of interests of all parties involved," Russia’s top diplomat said.
"Russia is open to achieving a political settlement, but this should not merely lead to a temporary ceasefire; it must lead to a resolution of the conflict by eliminating its root causes. These include NATO’s eastward expansion, the creation of threats to Russia’s essential security interests, and the Kiev regime’s infringement on the rights of Russians and Russian-speaking residents of Ukraine," he added.
