Turkey is concerned about pause in negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, - Ambassador Celal
Turkey is concerned about the suspension of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia. At the same time, Turkish diplomats understand that the pause was caused by the Russian side’s position.
According to Censor.NET, Nariman Celal, Ukraine's ambassador to Turkey, said this in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.
In Turkey, they understand who halted the negotiations
According to Jelal, Ankara views the pause in negotiations with concern, but the diplomat considers it inappropriate to describe Turkey's stance as "negative."
"Turkish diplomats generally understand very well what is happening—that this freeze or pause in the negotiations has been caused by the Russian side," the ambassador noted.
Despite the stalemate in the peace talks, the parties managed to make significant progress in only one area—the exchange of prisoners of war and the release of some civilians.
Ankara calls on Kyiv and Moscow to continue their dialogue
According to the ambassador, Turkey continues to urge Ukraine and Russia to engage in negotiations. The issue has become particularly pressing amid the deteriorating security situation in the Black Sea.
The deaths of Turkish sailors as a result of attacks on commercial vessels have become a sensitive issue for Ankara.
Dzhelal noted that Russian strikes on Ukrainian port infrastructure and commercial vessels are forcing Ukraine to "respond in kind" to such attacks.
At the same time, the Turkish side is not interested in further escalation and continues to insist on meetings and maintaining diplomatic dialogue.
Zelenskyy Is Ready to Meet with Putin in Turkey
Celal emphasized that Ukraine is not ruling out negotiations. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly stated—notably during conversations with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan—that he is ready to meet with Vladimir Putin in Turkey.
According to the ambassador, lower-level negotiations without a meeting between the leaders are unlikely to yield results at this time.
"Ultimately, we're running up against Russia's unwillingness to negotiate. The Turks are ready, we're ready, the Americans are ready. Everyone is ready, except for the Kremlin leader himself and his inner circle," Celal concluded.
