No concrete decision to host new round of talks on Ukraine: Ankara
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On Friday, Turkish newspaper Hurriyet claimed in a report that Turkey was likely to host talks on the Ukraine war in October.
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Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, talks to journalists next to Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a joint news conference following their meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, July 8, 2023. (AP)
A diplomatic source in Ankara told Sputnik on Saturday that a new round of talks on the Ukraine crisis could take place this fall and that Turkey is prepared for mediation in the conflict but has not taken any firm decision on hosting a new round of peace talks.
The remarks come after the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet claimed in a report that Turkey was likely to host talks on the Ukraine conflict in October. The move is intended to be a follow-up to the consultations hosted by Saudi Arabia last week.
"There is no concrete decision yet, it's at the level of suggestions," the source said when asked if Ankara will host a meeting in October.
"As repeatedly stated by President [Recep Tayyip Erdogan], we are ready for any mediation for peace," they added.
Read more: Ukraine deserves NATO membership: Erdogan
The Jeddah summit, which hosted talks on the Ukraine war from August 5-6, was concluded with participants agreeing to respect Ukraine's territorial integrity and that the UN's Charter should constitute the basis for any peace agreement in the context of the Ukraine conflict.
They also agreed to create working groups on the ten points of the peace formula set forth by Kiev.
According to sources cited by the report, the parties have not yet set a specific time for the meeting of heads of state. However, that could happen by the end of 2023.
Kiev said it expects the summit to endorse its peace proposal which includes a return to the pre-2014 borders.
Prior to the meeting, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said last week that any decisions on the Ukrainian conflict that might be reached during talks are "meaningless" without Russia's participation and that some countries would use the platform to build an anti-Russian coalition.
A day after the talks were concluded, Zakharova said that Moscow expects BRICS member-states that partook in the Jeddah summit over the weekend to discuss the Ukrainian conflict to provide details of their consultations.
"We expect that, in accordance with the agreements, they [BRICS countries] will share their assessments with us and reaffirm our position on the so-called peace formula of [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskyy, which the Kiev regime and the West are trying to promote during such meetings. None of its 10 points is aimed at finding a negotiated and diplomatic solution to the crisis," Zakharova said in a statement.
Read more: China participation in Saudi Forum on Ukraine not 'game changer': CNN
