Russia responded to Erdogan’s desire to mediate between Kiev and Moscow

The presidents of Russia and Turkey on December 3 can discuss the war in Donbass. The Russian Federation refuses to recognize itself as a party to the conflict.

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Turkey cannot be a mediator in the settlement of the conflict in the east of Ukraine. This was stated by the Speaker of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova at a briefing, which was broadcast on the YouTube channel of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

This is how Russia reacted to the proposal of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about Ankara’s readiness to “relieve tension” between Kiev and Moscow.

“There can be no talk of any mediating role of Turkey between Russia and Ukraine,” Zakharova stressed.

The spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry denied Russia’s participation in this conflict.

Erdogan could try to convince the Ukrainian authorities to abandon “aggressive plans against Donbass and begin to implement the Minsk agreements,” she concluded.

A similar point of view was expressed in the Kremlin. Russian President’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov considers it necessary to clarify how Erdogan’s mediation will manifest itself.

“If (Erdogan) can use his influence to induce Kiev to start fulfilling its obligations under the Minsk package of measures, the Paris agreements and so on, then this can only be welcomed,” Peskov added.

According to him, Russian President Vladimir Putin on December 3 can discuss Ukrainian issues with Erdogan by phone.

In an interview with the Turkish television channel NTV on November 29, Erdogan said that Turkey stands for peaceful settlement of the armed conflict in Donbass and he raised this question more than once in conversations with Putin.

Recall that today Zelensky, during a speech in the Rada, said that without direct negotiations with Russia it is impossible to stop the war and return the occupied Donbass.

Peskov said the day before that Russia has no plans to attack Ukraine, and the information from Western and Ukrainian media about possible preparations for an offensive is “hysterical.”

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