MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th April, 2023) Turkey could become a platform for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine as Ankara keeps diplomatic channels with both Moscow and Kiev, whereas countries like Austria and Switzerland lost their neutrality and could not mediate the negotiations, former Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl told Sputnik on Monday.
"Turkiye in particular, they keep a working language and lots of channels, both with regards to Moscow and to Kiev. So I could very well imagine that signings, talks (on peace) will happen somewhere on the outskirts of Istanbul or Antalya, the diplomacy forum is regularly held by (Foreign) Minister (Mevlut) Cavushoglu rather than on Austrian or Swiss premises," Kneissl said.
According to the former minister, although Austria and Switzerland are formally neutral countries, they both have lost their neutral foreign policy, with Vienna in particular siding with one party to the conflict. For instance, in February, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen made his first foreign visit to Kiev following his reelection, Kneissl added.
"And NATO countries like Hungary and Turkiye are de facto, not de jure, but de facto in a much more neutral foreign policy scheme, which is built upon also, trust by some of the main parties," the former Austrian official also said.
Moscow launched its special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Istanbul hosted Russia-Ukraine talks that began almost immediately after the start of hostilities, with the latest round taking place on March 29, 2022, but the negotiations ultimately reached an impasse. Russian senior officials have repeatedly reaffirmed their readiness to start peace negotiations to resolve the ongoing conflict.
