ANKARA, March 29. /TASS/. Turkey expects the meeting of Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul to benefit the negotiation process and is ready to organize a meeting between Russian president Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Vladimir Zelensky, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday when addressing the delegations at his Dolmabahce office.
"Welcome to Turkey and our Istanbul. We are glad to receive you at such a critical time, you have made great efforts on behalf of your countries. The conflict [in Ukraine] is very upsetting for us as your friend and neighbor. From the very beginning of the crisis, we have made sincere efforts at all levels and tried to meet the requirements of friendship, good neighborliness and laws. We have demonstrated a fair approach that protects and respects the rights of both sides in all platforms where we have a voice," the Turkish leader said.
Erdogan expressed hope that if progress is made at the Istanbul meeting, the phase of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine can reach the next stage. "The progress you make in the talks will also allow us to move on to the next phase, which is contact at the level of leaders. We are also ready to hold such a meeting," the Turkish president hopes.
Earlier, the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not rule out the possibility of a meeting between Putin and Zelensky, but noted that it must be prepared to be productive.
On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin in response to the appeal of the leaders of the republics of Donbass, decided to conduct a special military operation. The Russian leader stressed that Moscow's plans do not include the occupation of Ukrainian territories. The goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country.