Erdogan renews proposal to bring Putin, Zelensky together

ANKARA, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan renewed his offer to bring the leaders of Russia and Ukraine in Turkey, during a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on Thursday.

"Pointing out that reaching consensus on some issues may require talks at the leadership level, Erdogan reiterated his offer to host Russian President Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Istanbul or Ankara," said a statement of the Turkish presidency.

Erdogan and Putin discussed the latest developments in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the humanitarian situation on the ground, the statement said.

Emphasizing that "the war would not benefit any side and diplomacy should be given an opportunity," Erdogan stressed the need "to operate the humanitarian corridors effectively and smoothly in both directions," it added.

Ukraine expects Turkey, with other countries, to offer security guarantees to Ukraine if a deal is reached with Russia to end the conflict, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Thursday after meeting his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu.

"We believe it is time to prepare a ground for a meeting between the leaders of Ukraine and Russia," Cavusoglu said.