(TheLibertyRevolution.com)- The 19FortyFive website reports that this week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to end the Ukraine conflict. Erdogan is one of the most outspoken proponents of a diplomatic solution to the conflict in Ukraine.
The Turkish president discussed his most recent talks with the Russian president in an interview with PBS, and he expressed hope that Putin wants to put an end to the war “as soon as possible.”
Erdogan said he’s genuinely showing him that he’s willing to terminate this as quickly as possible. That was Erdogan’s impression because of how bad things are now going.
Erdogan also acknowledged that Russia was having difficulties on the battlefield due to recent achievements made by Ukraine in the northeast and southeast. The Turkish president revealed that 200 hostages are anticipated to be exchanged soon and stated that his conversation with Putin at the summit in Uzbekistan last week gave him reason to trust that Putin would act as his military faced more challenges.
Erdogan’s assessment of Putin’s desire to stop the war may be accurate, but that doesn’t always mean it will happen right now or even in short to medium term. Both parties to this disagreement want it to be resolved, but not at any cost.
Putin may withdraw his forces and abandon his plan to “liberate” the oblasts of Luhansk and Donetsk, or Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy might capitulate and grant Putin his demands. Since neither party is likely to do so, additional peace discussions are required. These talks can only be successful if one or both parties are prepared to make concessions.
The conflict might finish fast, but Zelenskyy will almost probably refuse to back down and relinquish any territory to Russia, given that Ukraine has won in Kharkiv and the southeast of the country, and Russia is still struggling. He has previously stated categorically that he will never do that.
What would a war’s end look like? That’s Putin’s fault. If the Russian president decides to talk, he will need to figure out how to portray his defeat as a victory. It will determine his political destiny and freedom.
