Jeyhun Aliyev
08 August 2022•Update: 08 August 2022
ANKARA
There are currently no "necessary prerequisites" for a meeting between Russian and Ukrainian presidents, a Kremlin spokesman said on Monday.
Moscow appreciates Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's efforts to organize the negotiation process between Russia and Ukraine, but the delegation of Ukrainian negotiators "left the radar," Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
"As for a meeting between Presidents (Vladimir) Putin and (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy, it is possible only after all the homework has been done by the delegations,” Peskov added.
During the recent talks in Russia's Sochi, Erdogan stated there will be no winner in the Russia-Ukraine war, adding: "Despite the difficulties on the ground, I also maintain my strong belief that the crisis will be resolved at the negotiating table. I reminded Putin once again that we can host his meeting with Zelenskyy."
Türkiye will continue to hold dialogue to contribute to regional and global peace, he added.
Erdogan said he believes that a cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine is possible "if parties really show sensitivity to the promises made."
Trade in national currencies
Peskov emphasized that Russia’s deals with various countries on the use of local currencies for trade does not aim to bring down the US dollar.
"International confidence in the US dollar has been undermined by the actions of the US itself. The dollar has ceased to be a reliable reserve currency," he said.
He went on to say that the expansion of cooperation between Russia and Türkiye should not be a reason for “secondary sanctions” against Ankara.
"But one can imagine that the US and EU will continue to put pressure on any countries that do not wish to follow in their mainstream," Peskov noted.
As part of Sochi talks, Erdogan said he agreed with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to enhance bilateral cooperation in the areas of economy and trade. The countries aim to increase the bilateral trade volume to $100 billion.
Erdogan added that a memorandum of understanding regarding Türkiye-Russia economic and commercial relations was signed in Sochi, adding: "We agreed on the ruble with Putin."
Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant
In the news briefing, Peskov also accused Kyiv of hitting the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, and warned of the "catastrophic consequences."
"Ukraine's shelling of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant is an extremely dangerous activity, which, if aggravated, is fraught with catastrophic consequences for a vast territory, including the territory of Europe," he stressed.
On Saturday, Rafael Mariano Grossi, chief of the UN's nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), called for an immediate end to any military action near the nuclear plant, warning of a "very real risk of a nuclear disaster."
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also called for the end of military operations around Europe's largest nuclear plant, adding that: "Any attack on nuclear power plants is a suicidal thing."
The Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest, fell into Russian hands amid ongoing war after an intense firefight and shelling by Russian forces which destroyed a training laboratory located near one of the facility's six reactors, according to Bellona Foundation, an independent non-profit organization headquartered in Oslo.
