Putin's Phone, Erdogan Affirms Supporting Permanent Peace In Ukraine

JAKARTA - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan supports efforts to achieve permanent peace in Ukraine with the participation of all parties.

This was conveyed by Erdogan to Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone call on Wednesday, August 20.

Erdogan also told Putin that he compared developments related to the process thoroughly, and Turkey had been trying to realize a just peace since the beginning of the war.

Meanwhile, the latest development of peace efforts in Ukraine, Russia said efforts to resolve security concerns related to Ukraine without Moscow's participation were "endangered".

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov delivered the statement two days after US President Donald Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine that could help end the war.

"We cannot agree with the fact that it is now proposed to resolve security, collective security issues, without the Russian Federation. This will not work," Lavrov said.

"I believe that in the West, especially in the United States, they understand very well that discussing security issues seriously without involving the Russian Federation is utopia, a dead end," Lavrov stressed.

US President Donald Trump previously hoped Russian President Vladimir Putin would continue to advance in ending the war in Ukraine.

But Trump admits the Kremlin leader may not want to reach an agreement at all that would actually create a "difficult situation" for Putin.

In an interview on Fox News' "Fox & Friends" program, Trump expects Putin's direction to become clear in the coming weeks.

Trump has also again ruled out the possibility of American troops in Ukraine and provided no specific details about the security guarantees he previously said Washington could offer Kyiv in a postwar settlement.

"To be honest, I don't think it will be a problem (achieving a peace deal). I think Putin is bored. I think they are all bored, but we never know," Trump said.

"We will know about President Putin in the next few weeks. There is a possibility he does not want to reach an agreement," Trump, who previously threatened to impose tougher sanctions on Russia and its oil-buying countries if Putin does not make peace.

Ukraine and its European allies are optimistic with Trump's pledge of security guarantees to help end the war at an extraordinary summit on Monday, but are still facing many unanswered questions, including how much Russia's willingness to work together.