Russia’s deal with West key to ending Ukraine conflict, says Turkish President Erdogan’s adviser

New Delhi: A top Turkish presidential adviser on foreign policy has said that the conflict between Moscow and Kiev is effectively a conflict between Russia and the collective West and that it can be resolved only by reaching a “strategic agreement”. According to a Russia Today report, Ibrahim Kalin told Turkey-based Haberturk TV on Sunday that “this war will not end with positional gains, but with a new security agreement between the two global blocs”. Kalin said he discussed the issue and Moscow’s stance on it with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his recent visit to the country. Even as Turkey itself has been working towards reaching the “perspective” of such an agreement, Kalin admitted that the current “international climate is in favor of war rather than peace.” “The great powers want this war to continue,” he added, without naming the purported pro-war actors. ‘Cold War 2.0’ Describing the standoff as the “Cold War 2.0”, Kalin said that the conflict has become a “hot” episode of a broader conflict between Moscow and the collective West. While Russia apparently tried to avoid hostilities when it tabled a comprehensive security agreement shortly before the conflict broke out, the West rejected it, Kalin noted. “This war is not between Russia and Ukraine, but between Russia and the Western bloc. Cold War 2.0,” he was quoted as saying by Russia Today citing Haberturk TV. Kalin echoes Russian stance The argument put forth by Kalin seemed to echo frequent claims made by senior Russian officials that the ongoing fighting was essentially a proxy war between Russia and the West being carried out by Ukrainians. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reinforced the position on Friday, saying that any conversations would not be place “with [Ukrainian President Vladimir] Zelensky, who is a puppet in the hands of the West, but directly with his masters.” Ankara hosted peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine early on in the ongoing conflicts, demonstrating Turkey’s role as a mediator in the larger struggle between Russia and the West. Even though the diplomatic attempt finally failed, Turkey persisted in its efforts, pleading with both parties to resume talks. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that “even the worst peace will be better than war.” With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.