Top Russia, Ukraine diplomats arrive in Turkey for talks

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FILE – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Mykola Tochytskyi, left, Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov, second left, the Head of the Ukrainian Servant of the People faction Davyd Arakhamia, third left, Adviser to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Mykhailo Podoliak, fourth left, Russian Ambassador to Belarus Boris Gryzlov, fifth right, Leonid Slutsky, chairman of the Russian State Duma’s International Affairs Committee, fourth right, Russian Presidential Aide and the head of the Russian delegation Vladimir Medinsky, third right, Deputy Minister of Defense Alexander Fomin, second right, and Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko pose prior the talks between delegations from Ukraine and Russia in Belarus’ Brest region on March 7, 2022. (Photo by Maxim GUCHEK / BELTA / AFP)

ANTALYA, Turkey (AFP) – The foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine have arrived in Turkey for face-to-face talks set for Thursday morning, officials said, in the first high-level contact between the two sides since Moscow invaded its ex-Soviet neighbour.

Officials from Kyiv and Moscow have held several rounds of discussions in Belarus, but the meeting in the southern city of Antalya represents the first time Russia has sent a minister for talks on the crisis.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba had landed in Antalya for talks “on Russia ceasing its hostilities and ending its war against Ukraine,” foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko tweeted Wednesday evening.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (not in picture) speak to the media after meeting at the Ukrainian-Polish border crossing in Korczowa, Poland on March 5, 2022 . – Blinken travels to Poland, Moldova, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia from March 3 to 8 to reassure them of US support amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY / Pool / AFP)

His Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov has also arrived for the talks, a Turkish official told AFP.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a joint press conference with his Kyrgyz counterpart following their talks in Moscow on March 5, 2022. (Photo by SERGEI ILNITSKY / POOL / AFP)

Dialogue between Kyiv and Moscow has so far yielded several local ceasefires and humanitarian corridors to evacuate residents, but Russia has been accused of breaching those agreements.

Kuleba confirmed in a Facebook video that he would travel to Turkey for the talks but said his expectations were “limited”, as Russia continues its brutal bombing campaign and siege of major cities.

He said the success of the talks would depend on “what instructions and directives Lavrov is under” from the Kremlin.

“I am not pinning any great hopes on them, but we will try and get the most out of” the talks with effective preparation, he said.

The sit-down comes as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has pushed for Ankara to play a mediation role.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a joint press conference with the Kosovo President at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, on March 1, 2022. (Photo by Adem ALTAN / AFP)

“We are working to stop this crisis from transforming into a tragedy,” Erdogan said Wednesday.

“I hope the meeting between the ministers will open the way to a permanent ceasefire.”

The Russian and Ukrainian ministers will be joined at Thursday’s meeting by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, with NATO member Turkey keen to maintain strong relations with both sides despite the conflict.

It is the first trip abroad for Lavrov since Russia was isolated by the Western world with biting sanctions that have also targeted President Vladimir Putin’s long-serving top diplomat.

© Agence France-Presse