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Ankara’s idea to host Russian-Ukrainian talks to be unsuccessful — expert

According to the expert, a mediator must be equally distant from both sides of a dispute and look for a compromise

MOSCOW, January 20. /TASS/. The Turkish initiative to host negotiations between the presidents of Russia and Ukraine will not be successful because of Ankara’s pro-Ukrainian position, says Andrey Kortunov, head of the Russian International Affairs Council.

"I believe that this initiative will be unsuccessful for two reasons. The first reason being: Moscow considers the problems between Russia and Ukraine a derivative of the problems between Russia and the West. Therefore, an opinion is being expressed quite often - in [Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman] Dmitry Medvedev’s article in particular - that, in all seriousness, there is no point in talking to Ukraine, because it is not independent; instead, one should talk with the decision makers: the US or NATO, and only talks of this kind can bear fruit," Kortunov said. "The idea that it is impossible to resolve this issue without the West casts doubt over the success of Turkey’s mediation."

According to the expert, a mediator must be equally distant from both sides of a dispute and look for a compromise. And this is the second reason.

"If we look at Turkey’s position, it is easy to see that it takes a pro-Ukrainian position on all the main issues involving Crimea and Donbass; it consistently defends Kiev’ positions, therefore it is not exactly clear how it can act as a mediator if its sympathies are clearly on Kiev’s side," Kortunov said.

"I do not believe that this initiative will make it possible in any way to break the negative trends in the Russian-Ukrainian relations that we observe right now," he concluded.

On Wednesday, Ibrahim Kalin, spokesman of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, announced that Erdogan invited Putin and Zelensky to Turkey in order to "settle disputes" between the two countries. According to the spokesman, "Erdogan will depart for Ukraine in the upcoming weeks for negotiations with Zelensky."

The Turkish President repeatedly stated his desire to take part in the settlement of the crisis between Russia and Ukraine. During phone negotiations in December 2021, Putin told Erdogan that Ukraine continues its destructive course, which aims to undermine the Minsk Agreements.

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