Promise Odejide
President Vladimir Putin has told Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan that he is ready for peace talks with Ukraine if Kyiv cede territories occupied by Moscow to Russia.
“Putin again confirmed Russia’s openness to serious dialogue on the condition of Kyiv authorities fulfilling the well-known and repeatedly voiced requirements of taking into account the new territorial realities,” the Kremlin said in a statement.
Erdogan had initiated peace moves in telephone conversation with Putin.
Russian soldiers had taken over last parts of eastern and southern Ukraine.
According to Kremlin, it has amalgamated parts the Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.
“The Russian side emphasised the destructive role of Western states, pumping the Kyiv regime with weapons and military equipment, providing it with operational information and targets,” the statement added.
The implementation of a landmark grain deal, brokered by the UN with the help of Turkey, to unblock Ukrainian grain formed crux of the talks.
It was reported that the pair looked into “the unblocking of food and fertiliser supplies from Russia” and the need for “the removal of all barriers to Russian exports.”
Russia the peace deal in October following a drone invasion on its Black Sea Fleet.
Russian troops invaded Ukraine, Febuary last year over territory dispute.