War in Ukraine cannot be ended with 'piecemeal gains': Turkish presidential aide

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) - War in Ukraine cannot be ended with "piecemeal gains," Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said.

"30 years after the end of the Cold War, Russia tells the West: 'Let's make a new agreement, make a new bargaining, and build a new global security architecture. Let me be in it, (where I) feel safe, let the West, Ukraine, Europe, and NATO be in it, as well'," Kalin told the Haberturk news channel on Sunday.

Without bargaining for such an agreement at the strategic level, Kalin said, he "does not believe that the Ukrainian war can be ended with piecemeal gains (by either side)."

"This is the impression I got during my meeting with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin," he added.

When asked "Will Putin take Ukraine city after city?", Kalin said: "No, he (Putin) said, they have no intention of continuing this war forever. But the major question on the table is what an honorable way out for both sides will be."

About Türkiye's suggestion, Kalin said: "We have a suggestion. Let me not say 'plan' in order not to be misunderstood, there is a perspective -- that we are working on in this regard. But I have to say that at the moment, the international atmosphere is in favor of war rather than peace. The great powers want this war to continue."

"You know, they called it a war of attrition at first...We saw that this would not happen, in fact, you know, if Russia had been brought to heel in the first six months with economic sanctions and other things, it would have already been brought to its knees," he added.

Regarding the ongoing war since last February, Kalin said it had a "very serious" economic and military cost, adding that even today, in the Bakhmut region, where conflicts are intense, 100-200 people from both sides are dying.

"There is a very bloody war there, unfortunately. The attention of the world has turned to other places, but the war continues there with all its violence. It is not possible to say that Russia has won, and it is not possible to say that Ukraine has won too," he added.