It seems inevitable that the Russian war in Ukraine will continue for some time — the question is how much damage will be done before negotiations resume, according to a spokesman for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Turkey, despite its criticism of the Russian invasion and President Vladimir Putin’s recent move to annex territory in Ukraine, has maintained good relations with the Kremlin and brokered a deal this summer. To allow grain to be shipped from Ukrainian ports.
Earlier on Friday, Erdogan spoke with Putin about the “latest developments” in the war in Ukraine, according to a readout from the Turkish government.
His spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, told CNN that negotiations will likely resume at some point.
“The question is: When will we get back to it and how much damage will we do by then?” Kalin said during an interview with CNN’s Issa Soares.
Negotiations stalled after Russia’s annexation of four Ukrainian regions last week, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky going so far as to sign a decree declaring negotiations impossible.
The decree, which was published on the Ukrainian presidential website, declared “the impossibility of conducting negotiations with the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin.” It was September 30, the day Putin announced this It would have illegally annexed four partially occupied regions of Ukraine.
Kalin said a halt to the talks was expected, adding that he had recently discussed the issue with US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.
The Turkish official said there is also more point at play when it comes to Russian participation in the negotiations.
“We understand that Mr. Putin wants to get a new big deal, a new deal with the West. It’s partly about Ukraine, no doubt. But the bigger issue is really a new deal between Russia and the Western world,” Kalin said.
He said Moscow feels that the agreements reached at the end of the Cold War, under Presidents Mikhail Gorbachev and Boris Yeltsin, no longer reflect the Russia of today. “There’s a new Russia, there’s a new world, there’s a new reality, and they want to get a new deal,” Kalin said.
As a result, the entire liberal global order faces a major test, he said.