News Feed

Turkish president to propose freezing Ukraine front line, Bloomberg reports

2 min read
Turkish president to propose freezing Ukraine front line, Bloomberg reports
The president of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the meeting for the Grain corridor agreement in Istanbul, Turkey on July 22, 2022. (Cem Tekkesinoglu/ dia image via Getty Images)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will propose his peace plan for Ukraine during the G20 talks commencing on Nov. 18, Bloomberg reported, citing undisclosed sources.

Erdogan's proposal would include Ukraine foregoing joining NATO for at least 10 years, freezing the current front line, providing Ukraine with weapons, and deploying international troops to a demilitarized buffer zone in the Donbas, Bloomberg reported.

The Turkish leader's proposal comes as NATO countries prepare for a Donald Trump presidency, which many fear will lead to the U.S. pressuring Ukraine to end the war quickly, even at the cost of territorial concessions.

The G20 countries are set to convene in Brazil without the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Brazil is a party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which issued an arrest warrant for Putin last year for the abduction of Ukrainian children. ‌‌

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will also not be present, despite numerous appeals to receive an invitation.‌‌ Zelensky said on Nov. 16 that Ukraine must do everything possible to end the war through diplomatic means in 2025.‌‌

Zelensky's words followed German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s phone conversation with Putin, during which he condemned Russia's war against Ukraine and called to withdraw Russian troops from Ukrainian territory. He also urged Russia to negotiate with Ukraine to achieve a "just and lasting peace."

The call sparked anger in Ukraine, with Zelensky saying it could open a "Pandora's Box" for further engagement with the Russian leader. In the wake of Trump's election, Kyiv has urged its partners to adopt a "peace through strength" approach to pressure Russia toward a just peace.

Avatar
Boldizsar Gyori

Boldizsar is a former Reuters correspondent for Hungary, currently based in Kharkiv, reporting for the Kyiv Independent and various other outlets. He holds degrees in political science, philosophy, and development policy.

Read more
News Feed
Video

Along the Dnipro River in southern Ukraine, the front line has remained largely static, but fighting continues every day. The Kyiv Independent’s Francis Farrell and Olena Zashko embedded with Ukraine’s forces in Kherson Oblast, following FPV drone and night bomber teams tasked with defending river islands.

Earlier on Jan. 1, Volodymyr Saldo, a Ukrainian politician turned top Russian proxy head of Russian-occupied parts of Kherson Oblast, accused Kyiv of launching three drones at a hotel and a cafe on the Black Sea coast. Saldo claimed that the alleged New Year drone strike on the village of Khorly killed 24 people, including a child, and wounded more than 50.

Ukraine formally joined the European Union's single roaming zone on Jan. 1, allowing Ukrainian citizens to use their mobile phone service across the European bloc without incurring additional charges.

 (Updated:  )

'All memories of my childhood in Pokrovsk seem like a dream, as if it never really happened.'

Show More