Russia-Ukraine War: Turkey's Prez Erdogan claims 'Putin could meet Zelenskyy in Istanbul'

In a major claim, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday said that Russian President Vladimir Putin could meet his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Istanbul. Speaking to the local media, Erdogan said that he has already had conversations with Zelenskyy and is scheduled to converse with Putin as well.

The Turkey President acknowledged that there was an agreement at the grassroots-level talks taking place and underlined the need for the top brass to talk. "Especially when it comes to Donbass and Crimea, there is a need to take steps on the highest level. Expressing before the leaders the need for talks, we have offered to be the host. Mr Zelenskyy has a positive perspective on it, and so has Mr Putin," Erdogan said. The Turkish President added, "If in our Istanbul such a leaders summit can be organised and as a result of this, negative progress can be converted into a positive one, we will be more than pleased. 

Talks between Ukraine-Russia delegates underway in Turkey

Meanwhile, on Friday, talks between Russia and Ukraine have resumed via video link. Friday’s talks came three days after the last meeting between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Turkey. Russian delegation head Vladimir Medinsky said the country's position on Crimea and the Donbas remains 'unchanged' despite continuous negotiations with Ukraine. 

Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula in southern Ukraine in 2014. The Donbas is a predominantly Russian-speaking industrial region where Moscow-backed separatists have been battling Ukrainian forces since 2014.

Amid talks, the Russian offensive in Ukraine continues even on the 36th day. In what could be the first counter-attack by Ukraine on Russian soil, the Governor of Belgorod claimed that Kyiv had struck an oil depot in the Russian border region. Regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov accused Ukraine of flying helicopter gunships into Russian territory on early Friday morning and striking an oil depot. Dramatic visuals emerged from the site which showed the oil depot up in flames, with smoke billowing from the installation. 

Image: AP