Erdoğan respected by all sides in Ukraine war, both Zelenskyy and Putin - Trump
US President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (photo: Getty Images)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan enjoys respect from both Kyiv and Moscow. Erdoğan could bring peace in Ukraine if Türkiye stops buying Russian energy resources, US President Donald Trump said during a meeting with the Turkish leader.
Trump stated that both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin respect Erdoğan. Against this background, Erdoğan could "have a big influence, if he wants to."
"President Erdoğan is very respected by both of them (Zelenskyy and Putin - ed.). Everybody respects Erdoğan. They really respect Erdoğan. I do. And I think he could have a big influence if he wants to. Right now, he is very neutral," said the US President.
Trump praised the Turkish leader for taking a neutral position in the confrontation between Ukraine and Russia. However, the US President added that Erdoğan could make a great contribution to achieving peace in Ukraine.
"He (Erdoğan – ed.) likes being neutral. So do I like being neutral. But he's somebody that if he got involved, the best thing he could do is not buy oil and gas from Russia," Trump said.
The American President added that Erdoğan "knows Putin" just as he knows Putin. This came amid Trump's numerous complaints that his good relations with Putin did not help stop the war.
Erdoğan the peacemaker
Since February 2022, Erdoğan has repeatedly stated that Türkiye is ready to serve as a platform for peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. This includes the possibility of a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin — similar to the meetings previously held in Istanbul between delegations from Kyiv and Moscow.
In August, Erdoğan and Zelenskyy discussed preparations for a possible meeting between the leaders of Ukraine and Russia. However, at the beginning of September, Erdoğan said that Putin and Zelenskyy were not ready to meet. And on September 22, in an interview with US media, Erdoğan admitted that the war would not end anytime soon.
Trump and Turkish fuel
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright recently stated that Washington is demanding the European Union completely abandon its reliance on Russian energy resources. Primarily, this concerns supplies from Türkiye and India, as these two countries purchase Russian oil and produce petroleum products from it.
Earlier, Trump directly linked the introduction of new sanctions against Russia with NATO countries' refusal to purchase Russian oil and gas. Türkiye, a NATO member, is one of the largest buyers of Russian oil.
