Putin accepts Erdogan's invitation to visit Turkiye

Russian President Vladimir Putin has accepted the invitation of his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan to visit Turkiye.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday that the meeting will be held when the pandemic situation and the schedules of the two leaders allow for it.

"President Putin gratefully accepted this invitation," Peskov told reporters at a daily briefing in Moscow.

"And they agreed that as soon as a) the epidemiological situation and b) the schedules allow, he will definitely take advantage of this invitation," he added.

Last week, Erdogan said he hopes to bring together the Russian and Ukrainian leaders as soon as possible amid rising tensions in the region.

“Our hope is to bring together Mr Putin and Zelenskyy as soon as possible and to ensure that they have a face-to-face meeting," he said after a joint news conference with El Salvador President Nayib Bukele in the Turkish capital Ankara.

READ MORE: Erdogan: Turkiye wants peace in region, will travel to Ukraine in February

Russia-Ukraine tensions

In a bid to ease tension between Ukraine and Russia, Turkiye may host the next round of the Trilateral Contact Group, comprising Russia, Ukraine, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, diplomatic sources said.

Peskov also noted on Thursday that due to the pandemic there has been "a certain pause" in holding meetings of the intergovernmental commission and the High-Level Cooperation Council, which is headed by the two presidents.

The topic was discussed several times in recent presidential contacts, and Erdogan said he was ready to host all these events in Turkiye, Peskov said.

Erdogan and Putin periodically speak by phone and have had a number of mutual visits in recent years.

READ MORE: Will the Erdogan-Putin summit bring Turkey and Russia closer?