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Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Saturday urged Russia and Ukraine to reach an agreement to end their nearly five-year war, warning that the conflict has caused major economic and social damage and could expand further if diplomatic efforts fail.
Speaking to Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency and Turkish public broadcaster TRT on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Atlanta, Fidan said the costs of the war had become increasingly difficult to sustain, particularly for European countries.
“These wars are no longer sustainable. Therefore, Russia and Ukraine must reach an agreement,” Fidan said.
He added that a lasting settlement would require not only peace between Moscow and Kyiv but also a renewed relationship between Russia and Europe.
“A constructive relationship between Europe and Russia needs to be redefined in the aftermath of peace,” Fidan said, adding that any Russia-Ukraine agreement would have consequences beyond the two countries.
Fidan said the closure of the Strait of Hormuz had added significantly to the economic consequences of the Ukraine war by disrupting energy supplies and global trade.
He said the interconnected nature of the global economy made it increasingly difficult to calculate the full financial impact.
European industries had long benefited from relatively inexpensive Russian energy, supporting manufacturing, exports and financial activity, he said, while the breakdown of those economic links had created broader consequences.
Fidan stressed that the growing economic burden needed to be brought to an end.
Fidan also expressed concern over disruptions to commercial shipping in the Black Sea, saying Russian and Ukrainian grain and energy supplies were struggling to reach global markets.
“Food security, in particular, is an incredibly problematic issue. It needs to be brought to a halt as soon as possible,” he said.
He said Türkiye was continuing intensive diplomatic contacts and efforts to facilitate grain shipments from the Black Sea to international markets.
Fidan also called for the dispute between the U.S. and Iran that led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to be resolved quickly, stressing the importance of reopening critical international trade routes.
Fidan said the Ukraine war had caused significant human suffering alongside its economic and geostrategic consequences.
“If we do not stop it, the conflict could expand further—a scenario we certainly do not wish to see,” he said. “We are warning both international and regional actors about this. For our part, we will continue to do everything we can.”
He added that several scenarios Türkiye had previously feared regarding the expansion of the war had already materialized.
Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Istanbul on Saturday during Zelenskyy’s working visit to Türkiye.
Türkiye has continued diplomatic engagement with both Russia and Ukraine as part of efforts to end the war and address its broader regional and international consequences.
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