Erdogan, Zelensky discuss Ukraine crisis over phone

ISTANBUL, March 31 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky discussed the latest development in the Ukraine crisis over the phone on Thursday, the Turkish presidential office said.

Erdogan stated that the recent peace talks between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Istanbul gave a meaningful impetus to the process to end the crisis and establish peace, the presidential office said in a statement.

Erdogan reiterated his proposal to bring together the presidents of Ukraine and Russia for a summit in Turkey. Zelensky thanked Erdogan for hosting the talks in Istanbul, according to the statement.

Russia and Ukraine concluded a fresh round of face-to-face peace talks in Istanbul on Tuesday, creating a possibility of formulating a security treaty.

Following the meeting, Ukrainian negotiators named several countries which could act as guarantors, protecting Ukraine on the international arena, and Russian delegates pledged to scale down Russia's military operations in Ukraine to create the necessary ground for dialogue.

Turkey has been increased its diplomatic efforts for lasting peace in the region, and Erdogan has been pushing for a summit between his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts while conducting "phone traffic" with Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Zelensky.