Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on March 16 spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump for the first time since his second term began in January, with the conversation covering key issues, including Russia's war against Ukraine.
During the conversation, Erdogan expressed support for President Trump's efforts to bring an end to the war. He emphasized that Turkey backs Trump’s initiatives aimed at resolving the war and voiced hope for a positive outcome under his leadership.
Turkey has positioned itself as a potential mediator in Russia's all-out war against Ukraine, now in its fourth year, by maintaining diplomatic and economic ties with both nations while supporting Ukraine's sovereignty.
Leveraging its strategic position and influence in the Black Sea region, Turkey has facilitated negotiations, grain exports, and expressed willingness to participate in ceasefire monitoring.
In late February, Turkey indicated its openness to deploying troops in Ukraine as part of a potential peacekeeping force. Sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that Erdogan raised the issue in separate meetings with President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during visits to Ankara earlier that same month.
While Moscow has openly opposed the presence of NATO troops in Ukraine, Russia has yet to provide a clear response to Turkey's proposal.
Anatoliy Khomenko
