Erdogan tells Putin that Russia's calls for peace should be supported by 'unilateral ceasefire'

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke by phone on Thursday, the Turkish news agency Anadolu reported, citing the Erdoğan administration.

The two leaders reportedly discussed energy issues, the war in Ukraine, and Syria, among other things.

Anadolu summarized Erdoğan’s message to Putin regarding the situation in Ukraine as follows:

On the topic of the war between Russia and Ukraine, the Turkish leader reminded [Putin] of the positive results of [past] initiatives to promote dialogue, which led to the agreement on the ‘grain corridor,’ large-scale prisoner exchanges, and the formation of a safety zone around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

He stressed that calls for peace and dialogue must be supported by a unilateral ceasefire and the fair settlement of disagreements.

Putin, for his part, brought up the “destructive role” Western countries have played by providing weapons to Ukraine, the Kremlin reported. He also reportedly confirmed Russia’s “openness to serious dialogue” after Erdogan proposed that Ankara serve as a mediator in negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, but added that dialogue would only be possible if “the Kyiv authorities fulfill the well-known and repeatedly voiced demands and take into account the new territorial realities.”