As a resolution for the Russia-Ukraine war continues to evade, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday offered to hold a summit involving Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Istanbul or Ankara. Erdogan's statement came days after Russian and Ukrainian delegations met in Istanbul for a second round of negotiations in mid-May.
Erdogan may not seem like an ideal candidate for hosting peace talks, considering how he sided with Pakistan, just to enhance Turkey's defence partnerships and to reiterate his grand vision of turning into the leader of the 'Islamic world'. However, he may have some credibility when it comes to Russia-Ukraine peace talks. Reason: Ankara has traditionally cooperated with both Russia and Ukraine, a balancing act that reflects its desire to fall in line with the emerging multi-polar world order.
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Before the recent Russia-Ukraine delegation meeting in Ankara, Turkey had hosted another significant meeting in Antalya in March 2022, though it didn't yield any results. This was, however, the first high-level engagement between the two nations.
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However, much to the chagrin of Turkey, US President Donald Trump did not hold a favourable view of Ankara being a moderator. Not only did he negotiate directly with Moscow, Trump also chose Saudi Arabia to host the first high-level US-Russia talks on Ukraine.
Trump's move had then foiled Turkey's hopes that it could better its connections with the US. The West is also generally apprehensive about Turkey's role as a mediator considering Erdogan's stance on multiple issues, including Palestine.
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