Erdogan hopes to persuade Zelensky to freeze war – Bloomberg
18 November 2024 15:40
On November 18, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan intends to submit his proposal to freeze the Russian-Ukrainian war at the meeting of the G20 leaders in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This was reported by Bloomberg, citing sources, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
Zelenskyy’s own formula for peace is based on a clear path to NATO membership and security guarantees to protect Ukraine before joining.
Erdogan, on the other hand, will propose that Zelenskyy agree to postpone discussions on joining the alliance for at least 10 years as a concession to Putin, the sources said on condition of anonymity.
The proposal also calls for the creation of a demilitarized zone in eastern Donbas, where Russia has occupied territory since 2014. Erdogan will propose to deploy “international troops” there as an additional guarantee, as well as to guarantee Ukraine arms supplies as “compensation for agreeing not to join NATO.”
Turkish officials recognize that such a proposal would be difficult for Ukraine to accept, but consider it the most realistic approach. After all, it demonstrates a desire to put off discussions about the long-term fate of the occupied territories and focus on ensuring a stable ceasefire in the first place.
Erdogan hopes that he will be able to convince Zelenskyy to take part in the peace talks in Istanbul, as he has intelligence indicating that Ukraine could lose much more territory over the next few months if the fighting does not stop, sources say.
Bloomberg writes that after nearly 1,000 days of resisting the Russian invasion, Ukraine’s allies are pushing Volodymyr Zelenskyy to consider new ways to lure Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table as they seek to end the fighting.
Donald Trump will return to the White House in January, promising to end the war quickly. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged Putin to engage in peace talks during a phone call on Friday. French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday that he would talk to the Russian leader when the time comes.
Two European officials said they increasingly recognize that Zelenskiy will have to compromise with Putin as it has become clear that neither side can secure a decisive victory.
