Ankara: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed on Sunday bilateral relations and regional and international issues with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. In a phone call, Erdogan expressed Istanbul’s readiness to host peace talks between Russia and Ukraine and said that a comprehensive ceasefire would create the necessary environment for peace talks.

According to Qatar News Agency, on Saturday, Putin said his country would resume direct talks with Ukraine without preconditions next Thursday in Istanbul. Istanbul hosted several rounds of talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in March 2022 to reach an agreement to end the war.