Turkey's peace plan for war in Ukraine 'unacceptable,' Russia says
The Kremlin on Nov. 18 dismissed a peace plan for Ukraine reportedly to be put forward by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, describing it as "unacceptable."
Erdogan's proposal would include Ukraine abstaining from 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 country's east, Bloomberg reported.
The news outlet also said Erdogan would propose the plan during G20 talks commencing on Nov. 18.
Reacting to the reports, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed the proposal.
"The option of freezing the line of military conflict is unacceptable for the Russian side," he said in comments reported by Interfax.
Erdogan'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.
Chris York
