Russia and Ukraine close to agreement on critical issues: Turkey

Russia and Ukraine are close to agreement on critical issues, Turkey’s foreign minister said in an interview on Sunday.

He said there was hope for a ceasefire as long none of the sides take a step back from their positions.

A meeting facilitated by Turkey was held between Foreign ministers Sergei Lavrov of Russia and Dmytro Kuleba of Ukraine last week in Turkish town of Antalya.

The Al Jazeera reported that presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin in an interview has highlighted the six points that are on the negotiating table - Ukraine’s neutrality, disarmament and security guarantees, the so-called “de-Nazification”, removal of obstacles on the use of the Russian language in Ukraine, the status of the breakaway republics in the Donbas region and the status of Crimea annexed by Russia in 2014.

Turkey, a NATO member, shares a maritime border with Ukraine and Russia and has offered to mediate given its good relations with both countries.

Also Watch| Explained: Why is Russia continuously attacking Ukraine’s Mariupol