Foreign Ministers of Russia, Ukraine To Meet in Turkey

The foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine will meet in Antalya in southern Turkey, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced on Monday via the official Anadolu news agency. Cavusoglu said he would be part of the trilateral meeting, held on the sidelines of a diplomatic forum, the Antalya Diplomacy Forum. Cavusoglu reportedly spoke with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts on Sunday. Erdogan spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone on Sunday, hours after Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett – who has offered to mediate a cease-fire in Ukraine – met in Moscow with Putin. Erdogan reportedly called for Russia to move toward a cease-fire in Ukraine, to open humanitarian corridors for the Ukrainians, and to sign a peace agreement during the one-hour phone call. Erdogan reportedly also has spoken with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Turkish president has repeatedly offered to act as a mediator and host talks between Russia and Ukraine. Turkey is a member of NATO and has close relations with both Ukraine and Russia; Turkey also shares maritime borders in the Black Sea with the two warring countries.