(Reuters) – Russia has not yet heard a proposal from Turkey about hosting peace talks between Moscow and Western countries, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday, as tensions continue to rise after more than seven months of war in Ukraine.
President Vladimir Putin is set to meet Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday, where the two have been tipped to discuss a Turkish proposal to host peace talks between Moscow and the West.
Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during a briefing that no such proposal had been received through diplomatic channels but added that the situation was changing “dynamically”.
Turkey has been seen as a potential mediator between Russia and the West, and in July helped broker a deal to export Ukrainian grain blockaded in Black Sea ports.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said earlier that Moscow was open to talks with the West on the Ukraine war but had yet to receive any serious proposal to negotiate.
(Reporting by Reuters, Editing by William Maclean)
