Russia backs Türkiye's proposal for int'l platform on resolving Ukraine war

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has agreed with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan who urged the creation of an international peace platform with the broad participation of various countries in the interests of resolving the Ukrainian conflict.

Speaking at a press briefing in Moscow on Monday, Peskov emphasised that Russian President Vladimir Putin has always been "a staunch supporter" of diplomatic settlement of the conflict.

"You know that President Putin is a staunch supporter of prioritising diplomatic efforts to find a solution to the Ukrainian conflict. Of course, we have never refused to negotiate. On the contrary, we have always favored negotiations involving all interested parties. While there is no such platform currently, you can only agree with Mr Fidan on this point," he said.

Speaking at the Informal Summit of the Heads of State of the Organisation of Turkic States in Shusha, Azerbaijan on Saturday, Fidan called for a broadened peace effort and a diplomatic platform to mitigate polarisation in the Russia-Ukraine crisis.

About Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's visit to Moscow, Peskov said Russia highly values Orban's efforts toward resolving the Ukrainian conflict, considering the positions of both sides.

Peskov acknowledged the significant disagreements between the parties, but noted: "At least, Mr Orban is making a very serious attempt to understand the essence of these differences, which is highly appreciated."

Asked if Russian President Vladimir Putin had requested Orban to convey a message to US President Joe Biden or other participants of the July 9-11 NATO summit in Washington, Peskov said: "No."