West should do more to get Russia, Ukraine to talks: Cavusoglu

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Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu considered on Friday that some Western countries are not interested in settling the Ukrainian crisis and should persuade Ukraine to sit at the negotiating table with Russia.

"Life is getting difficult for Ukrainians particularly, and for all of us," Cavusoglu said at a forum in Rome, pointing out, "I think before the spring time we will have clear picture about ceasefire or truce or negotiation table. But we will not give up. As Turkey we will continue our efforts."

The Turkish Foreign Minister said the war in Ukraine became more complicated with the fighting on the ground getting heavier, stressing that some Western countries should do more to get the Russian and Ukrainian sides to the negotiation table.

The Kremlin pointed out on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin was "open to negotiations" on Ukraine but the West must accept Moscow's demands.

This comes a day after US President Joe Biden claimed that he was willing to talk if Putin were looking for a way to end the Ukraine war.

In mid-November, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed in a phone call with Putin the need to revive diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine, thanking Putin for extending the Black Sea grain deal by 120 days.

Following the start of the war in Ukraine in late February, Russia-Ukraine talks began. The final round of talks in Istanbul concluded on March 29. The discussions have since come to a standstill.

In late September, Putin said Moscow was still open to talks with Kiev and called on Ukraine to stop the hostilities.

White House National Security Spokesperson, John Kirby, had claimed that the US is not trying to force Kiev to hold talks or cede territory.

Kirby told reporters that only Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky "gets to determine if and when he's ready for negotiations and what those negotiations look like."

"Nobody from the United States is pushing, prodding or nudging him to the table," he said.

Read more: US pressures Ukraine to be open to peace talks with Russia: Official