The US wants to use the conflict to consolidate the West and contain Moscow, Numan Kurtulmus says
According to Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmus, Russia and Ukraine were on the verge of reaching a peace agreement during the Istanbul talks in the spring of 2022. However, he asserts that “some countries” were opposed to these efforts succeeding.
In a Wednesday interview with Haberturk broadcaster, Kurtulmus emphasized that both Moscow and Kiev acknowledge Ankara’s role as a mediator in the conflict, highlighting Turkey’s unique position in this regard.
He corroborated numerous media reports and statements by top Russian officials, confirming that the two sides were close to ending hostilities. He stated, “We had almost reached the final point to ensure a just and reasonable peace that both sides could accept… the matter had almost reached the point of a signature.”
However, Kurtulmus expressed regret that “some countries did not want the war to end,” specifically naming the US. He alleged that Washington was “trying to consolidate the European continent through the war in Ukraine, wants to keep Russia busy with a serious problem, and also sees regional turbulence as important in terms of the balance of power there.”
To achieve peace, he added, Ukraine and Russia first “need to clearly state their own political intentions” for the conflict to end as soon as possible.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that, during the Istanbul talks, Moscow and Kiev were on the verge of signing a peace deal under which Ukraine would have committed to “permanent neutrality” – meaning that it would have abandoned ambitions to join NATO. It would also have downsized its military and provided certain security guarantees.
Moscow has insisted that the talks were disrupted by then UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who allegedly advised Kiev to “keep fighting.” Johnson has denied the claim, but David Arakhamia, the head of the Ukrainian delegation, has acknowledged that he played an influential role.
In early July, Putin signaled that the tentative Istanbul agreement could still serve as a springboard for future talks with Kiev. However, after Ukraine’s large-scale incursion in Kursk Region earlier this month, Moscow ruled out any engagement with Kiev as long as it continues to attack civilians.