Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers to meet in Turkey on Thursday
Russian and Ukrainian officials are set to meet on Thursday in the Turkish coastal city of Antalya, as the conflict in Ukraine continues to rage.
On Monday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dymtro Kuleba would hold a trilateral meeting during the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, a conference taking place between 11 March and 13 March in the city.
"Following the initiative by our president and our intense diplomatic efforts, the foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine have decided to meet, with my participation on the sidelines," Cavusoglu said in a tweet.
He added that he hoped the meeting would "lead to peace and stability."
The two warring countries were set to hold another round of diplomatic talks on Monday, but so far negotiations have seen little progress as the fighting in eastern Europe grinds on.
Nato member Turkey has attempted to balance its relations with both countries, though it publicly condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine last month.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday held phone talks with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts, calling for an urgent ceasefire.
Unlike its other western allies, Turkey has not announced any sanctions against Russia over the invasion.
Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin told reporters in Istanbul on Saturday that his country had "no plans for sanctions right now".
"We do not want to be pushed into a position where we become a party in the war. We need to be able to speak with both sides," he said.
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