UN’s Guterres briefs Turkey’s Erdogan on his Putin, Zelensky meets

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday, according to the presidency’s media office, during which they addressed developments in the Ukraine conflict.

According to a statement from the Turkish Communications Directorate, Guterres informed Erdogan of his talks this week in Moscow and Kyiv.

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During the call, Erdogan stated that Turkey is willing to assist the UN-led effort on both evacuations and humanitarian aid.

According to the statement, Erdogan stated that they will continue to push both Ukraine and Russia to behave in common sense toward reconciliation and that they will promote peace.

On Friday, Guterres stated on Twitter that the UN would step up efforts to save lives and alleviate human suffering in Ukraine.

His message came during a visit to Ukraine and meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday, following a visit to Moscow and meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday.

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The Turkish president has previously called his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts in the expectation of meeting them both in Istanbul to settle the situation.

As a NATO member with maritime borders with both Ukraine and Russia, Turkey has a distinct profile and position. Turkey is also Russia’s most important commercial partner in the Middle East and North Africa.

In recent years, the country has competed and worked with Russia in war zones such as Syria, Libya, and Nagorno-Karabakh.

According to the Elysee Palace, French President Emmanuel Macron spoke by phone with  Zelensky on Saturday.

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“The President of the Republic reaffirmed to President Zelensky his willingness to work actively during his second term of office to restore the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, always maintaining close coordination with his European partners and allies,” according to the statement, Macron is concerned about the continuous shelling of Ukrainian cities and the “unbearable” situation in Mariupol.

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According to the Elysee, Macron told Zelensky that France’s military assistance to Ukraine “will continue to grow, as well as the humanitarian assistance provided by France,” which has so far totaled more than 615 tonnes of equipment, including medical supplies, generators for hospitals, food aid, shelter assistance, and emergency vehicles.

Macron also stated that “at the request of the Ukrainian authorities, the mission of French experts contributing to the collection of evidence to fight against impunity and allow the work of international justice on crimes committed in the context of Russian aggression, will continue.”