Erdogan urges Putin to implement unilateral ceasefire, 'vision for a fair solution' in Ukraine war

In a recent phone call, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to back calls for peace talks through a unilateral ceasefire and a "vision for a fair solution" to the war in Ukraine, according to a statement from the Turkish president's office published on Jan. 5.

"President Erdogan said calls for peace and negotiations should be supported by a unilateral ceasefire and a vision for a fair solution," the conversation readout said.

According to the Kremlin, Putin told Erdogan that Ukraine had to take into account the "new territorial reality". Russia currently occupies approximately 15% of Ukrainian territory.

Erdogan and Putin have had several conversations about Russia's war in Ukraine, with Turkey collaborating with the United Nations to strike a deal enabling grain exports from Ukrainian ports since August.

During the phone call, Erdogan also reminded Putin about the success of the grain deal.

In mid-December, the two leaders discussed the Black Sea Grain Initiative. After that call, the Kremlin said that Putin talked about some "obstacles" to food exports from Russia, which have to be "eliminated."

In July, the United Nations and Turkey brokered a deal to unblock the ports for grain exports.

In late December, Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Adil Karaismailoglu reported that 585 cargo ships with more than 15 million tons of agricultural products had left Ukraine through the UN-backed "grain corridor" since August.

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The Kyiv Independent