Decades will undoubtedly be needed to "
restore confidence
" between Western countries and Russia, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday April 19.
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“
Rebuilding all of this will take time.
It may take decades to restore confidence
,” said Mevlut Cavusoglu, believing that “
we are witnessing the beginning of a new Cold War
”.
A member of NATO and an ally of Ukraine - to which it has delivered combat drones - Turkey has been trying since the start of the conflict in Ukraine to facilitate mediation between Moscow and kyiv, and has refused to align with Western sanctions targeting Russia, keen to keep an open line with the Kremlin.
“
Despite the developments on the ground, we believe that there is still a place for diplomacy
,” added the head of Turkish diplomacy during a joint press conference with his Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto in Ankara.
Mevlut Cavusoglu asserted that “
quick steps must be taken for a ceasefire
” between Kyiv and Moscow.
Turkey has twice hosted direct negotiations between the two parties, on March 10 at ministerial level in Antalya (south) and on March 29 in Istanbul.