No signs of progress as FMs of Russia, Ukraine meet in Turkey

The foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine have met in Turkey for face-to-face talks, marking the first high-level in-person contact between the two diplomats since Moscow launched a military operation in its neighbor, but news conferences suggest no progress has been made.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, met at a forum in  the Turkish resort city of Antalya on Thursday, as part of Ankara’s efforts to mediate between the warring countries. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was also present at the meeting.

According to Press TV, the tripartite meeting came as Russia’s military offensive against Ukraine enters its third week, with Russian forces advancing in the ex-Soviet republic since then, overrunning the city of Kherson and besieging the port of Mariupol.

Kuleba said he had secured no promise from Lavrov to halt firing so that aid could reach civilians.

The Ukrainian diplomat had already said his expectations were “limited,” adding that the success of the talks would depend on “what instructions and directives Lavrov is under” from the Kremlin.

“I am not pinning any great hopes on them, but we will try and get the most out of [the talks],” said Kuleba, stressing that his team would be “pressing for the maximum.”

He had also said Ukraine was seeking a ceasefire, liberation of its territories and to resolve all humanitarian issues.

Meanwhile, Lavrov showed no sign of making any concessions, repeating Russian demands that Ukraine be disarmed and accept neutral status. He said Kiev appeared to want meetings for the sake of meetings and blamed the West for intensifying the conflict by arming its neighbor.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had for weeks pushed for Ankara to play a mediation role in the conflict. He had expressed hope that “the meeting between the ministers will open the way to a permanent ceasefire.”

Turkey, a NATO member, has called Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine as unacceptable even as it opposes sanctions against Moscow.

The latest development comes as Ukraine claimed on Wednesday that Russian forces had hit a children’s hospital and maternity ward in the Mariupol several times with airstrikes, alleging that the attack had led to the injury of 17 people.

Kiev also alleged that the attack had trapped children and others under the rubble in what it called “a war crime without justification.”

Russia has rejected the claim as “information terrorism.”

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation” in Ukraine.

The conflict has provoked a unanimous response from the US and its allies, imposing a long list of sanctions on Moscow.

Russia says it will halt the military operation instantly if Kiev meets Moscow’s list of conditions.