Turkey's Erdogan speaks to Zelenskyy ahead of his scheduled talks with Putin

Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, which is showing no signs of subsiding anytime soon, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday held a telephonic conversation with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. This comes a day ahead of scheduled talks between Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin. During his talks with the Turkish leader, President Zelenskyy stressed the need for the immediate "evacuation of civilians from Mariupol, including Azovstal, and also an immediate exchange of blocked troops." 

Taking to Twitter, Zelenskyy stated that he also discussed the course of the negotiation process and coordination with Turkey and other countries over security guarantees for Ukraine. He also raised issues related to Ukraine's defence capabilities and global food security, which is under threat due to the blocking of navigation in the Black Sea. Meanwhile, the Turkish President hoped to bring both Putin and Zelenskyy to the negotiating table in an attempt to end the war. In the midst of the current humanitarian catastrophe, Ankara has been delicately balancing its relations with both of its allies - Kyiv and Moscow.

Tukey treading a diplomatic tightrope since the onset of Russia-Ukraine war

Turkey has been treading a diplomatic tightrope between allies Russia and Ukraine since the war began on February 24. Earlier in the conflict, Erdogan's administration closed the vital Bosporus Strait to warships of "belligerent countries."  It's worth noting that Ukraine had asked Turkey to prevent Russian warships, but it is yet to take any step. Late in March, a threat arose when a naval mine was discovered in the Bosphorus Strait, prompting authorities to temporarily suspend ship traffic. Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron has also hinted at further talks with Putin. He emphasised that he is doing everything possible to stop the war in Ukraine and restore peace. 

Russia accuses Ukraine of preparing fresh provocations

Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defence has accused Ukraine of preparing provocations in order to blame Moscow and its armed forces. In a statement, the Russian Defence Ministry claimed that the Kyiv regime is mulling using toxic chemicals to strike civilian infrastructure in 'Yuzhny', an area on the Odessa port city, where at least 10 tons of ammonia were delivered on April 18. Russia has also accused Ukraine's Security Service officers of being involved in creating fake news along with British intelligence agencies in the Luhansk People's Republic's Lysychansk region. 

(Image: AP)