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ISTANBUL JUN 18, 2024 – 12:55 PM GMT+3
Türkiye has warned of the risk of spillover in the Russia-Ukraine war at a peace summit in Switzerland on Saturday.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, in his address, hailed the timing of the two-day Ukraine peace summit but said it would be “more result-oriented” with all parties included.
“For more than two years now, the devastating war has been unfolding in the middle of Europe as a result of the occupation of Ukraine,” he said.
According to some estimates, the number of casualties is more than 500,000, he said and warned: “With each passing day, this tragedy could even get worse.”
He pointed out the escalation of “two major risks” as the war goes on: possible spillage of war beyond Ukraine, deepening polarization at global levels, and inherent risk of enrolling to weapons of mass destruction.
“It is increasingly becoming a war more than between Russia and Ukraine,” he said.
“We have the Ukrainian peace plan in front of us, and Russia has recently shared some terms. Regardless of the content and the conditions put forward, these are important steps and a glimpse of hope to start with,” he said.
“I must also note that this summit could have been more result-oriented if the other party to the conflict, Russia, was present in the room,” he added.
From the beginning of the war, Türkiye has been actively engaging in diplomatic efforts, he said, recalling the Istanbul talks in March 2022 and the Black Sea grain deal. He mentioned those developments as signs that “diplomacy and negotiations can really bring progress.”
“Türkiye, as always, is ready to facilitate the process,” he said. “We will not shy away from putting further efforts.”
Noting that Ankara supports Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence, he added: “Our vision for peace is realistic, inclusive and practical. We are committed to crafting a way forward to that end.”
“A fair peace will have no losers,” he said, citing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Officials from more than 90 countries gathered in Switzerland this weekend, backing Ukraine’s independence but leaving key questions of how to end the conflict unresolved.
A final document was backed by a vast majority of countries attending the summit, but several countries did not sign it, including Saudi Arabia, India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
“Many countries understood the lack of perspective of any serious discussion without the presence of our country,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Monday.
He said Russian President Vladimir Putin was “still open to dialogue and serious discussion.”
Putin last week said Moscow would only join peace talks if Ukraine gave up four of its regions, effectively demanding that it surrender.
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