Europe Turkey calls for a quick ceasefire in Ukraine
According to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey is in favor of a quick ceasefire agreement between Ukraine and Russia. "We support the idea of reaching a ceasefire as soon as possible and stopping attacks from the air and at sea as a confidence-building measure between the parties," said Erdogan.
07.03.2025, 14:31
SDA
He emphasized the importance of a "solid diplomatic foundation" for which both sides should sit at the negotiating table. Erdogan made his remarks during a video conference between heads of state and government organized by the EU.
A few days ago, France, which is working with the UK on a peace plan for Ukraine, brought up a one-month ceasefire in the air and at sea as a step towards a possible peace agreement. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi had also shown himself open to such a limited ceasefire.
NATO member Turkey maintains good relations with Russia and Ukraine. Erdogan had previously said that Turkey was the "ideal" place for possible peace negotiations. Ukraine has been defending itself against the Russian war of aggression for just over three years.
EU informs partners after rearmament decision
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas and EU Council President António Costa provided information on the results of the previous day's EU special summit during the video link on Friday. Costa stated that cooperation with like-minded NATO partners was essential for international security.
At their meeting on Thursday, the EU heads of state and government had agreed, among other things, to massively rearm in light of the change of course in US foreign policy under President Donald Trump.
In addition to Erdogan, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and the Prime Minister of Iceland, Kristrún Frostadóttir, also took part in the video conference, according to EU sources.
