Zelenski conditions the dialogue with Russia to the withdrawal of troops after receiving Erdogan and Guterres

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The shared fear of “a new Chernobyl” flies over the three-way meeting in Lviv

Aug. 18 () –

The President of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelenski, discussed this Thursday in Lviv with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, the possibility of a diplomatic solution to the war, although he has once again made it clear that it will not negotiate until Russia removes all its troops from Ukrainian soil.

Zelenski, who initially received his two guests separately, agrees with them that a dialogue is possible, but for now there is no indication that it will come in the short term, despite the agreement for the export of grain in the that Turkey and the UN acted as mediators.

Guterres hopes that this pact between kyiv and Moscow is “only the beginning”, which is why he has advocated continuing with this “spirit of compromise” to move forward. “The positive milestone on the food front reflects a victory for diplomacy,” he said in a public appearance, according to the DPA agency.

Along the same lines, Erdogan has pointed out that during the tripartite meeting the options of transforming this “positive atmosphere” into “permanent peace” have been evaluated, for which he has once again offered himself as a mediator. Istanbul has already hosted the highest level contacts to date in March, without practical results.

“The important thing is to find the shortest and fairest path to the negotiating table,” said the Turkish president, in statements collected by the official Anatolia agency and that also advance that Erdogan will present soon before Moscow the conclusions of the meeting of this Thursday.

The three leaders share their concern about the growing tensions around the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, where Russian and Ukrainian authorities anticipate a possible “provocation” by the rival side. Guterres has insisted that any attack on these facilities would be “suicidal.”

Erdogan has called for avoiding “a new Chernobyl”, alluding to the 1986 nuclear disaster. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has requested access to the area and both Zelenski and Guterres have requested the withdrawal of Russian troops.

APPROACH TO TURKEY

Erdogan has taken advantage of his trip to reiterate his support for Turkey and promote a memorandum that commits his country to participate in the reconstruction of infrastructure. kyiv sees in Ankara “a strategic ally” as well as “reliable”, according to a statement from the Ukrainian Presidency.

The first practical collaboration resulting from this agreement could be the reconstruction of the bridge that connects kyiv with the towns of Bucha and Irpin, the scene of massacres of civilians at the hands of Russian troops and destroyed in the early stages of the current conflict, according to the official note. .