Ukraine-Russia crisis: Erdogan claims Turkey is the only country sincerely working for peace

Ankara: Even as international pressure on Russia seems to be waning, efforts are still on to bring Russia and Ukraine back to talks.

Now Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pats on his back claiming that Turkey is the only country making sincere efforts for peace.

The Turkish President reportedly on Tuesday would have a short meeting with delegations from the warring nations before the actual round of talks in Istanbul.

At a press conference after a cabinet meeting he said his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky were progressing positively.

The two-day in-person talks will begin at 10.30 a.m. (local time, about 1 p.m. IST) at the Dolmabahce Presidential Working Office in Istanbul's Besiktas district.

The president also said no one would be able to prevent Turkey from becoming a bridge of peace, tranquility and trust in the world.

Without giving any names, Erdogan said that he knew about those working to make his country a side of the war. But they are watching with a squeeze of heart the bridge of peace that Turkey has built, he said.

Erdogan and Putin over phone on Sunday agreed to hold the next round of Ukrainian and Russian talks in Istanbul.

Since February 28, Russia and Ukraine have held three rounds of face-to-face peace talks in Belarus alongside a series of online discussions. However the parties to the conflict have failed to create a rapprochement so far.

Russia insists Ukraine abandon any plan to join NATO, which the Ukrainian President is said to be willing to compromise on.

Other issues to be discussed include the fate of separatist-held regions in Ukraine's east, as well as the status of Crimea annexed by Russia in 2014.