UPDATE - Turkiye, Azerbaijan to help start negotiations with Russia: Ukrainian leader

UPDATES WITH ASSISTANCE TO BE PROVIDED BY AZERBAIJAN

By Talha Yavuz

KYIV, Ukraine (AA) – Turkish and Azerbaijani presidents will help Kyiv start negotiations with Moscow, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday.

Zelenskyy’s remarks came in a video message in which he commented on the latest developments in his country following the Russian military intervention earlier this week.

The Ukrainian leader said Turkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev assured him they would help start negotiations with Russia, an offer he has welcomed.

In a statement later, Zelenskyy said all gas stations of SOCAR in Ukraine, Azerbaijan's state oil company, were instructed to provide fuel for ambulances free of charge following his talk with Aliyev. "At night we are waiting for a plane with medications from Azerbaijan," he added.

He also exchanged views with the leaders of Switzerland, Greece, the Netherlands, Italy, and India, among others, and noted that Ukraine gained the sincerity and attention of the civilized world as the conflict with Russia raged.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the military intervention on Thursday, after a monthlong buildup of thousands of troops around Ukraine.

Western countries have responded with fury, and have announced sanctions on Moscow. They have also pledged economic and military support for Kyiv.

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*Writing and contribution by Ali Murat Alhas