Turkey Seeks To Broker Talks Between U.S., Russia On Ukraine

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is seeking to broker talks between Russia and the US, UK, France, and Germany in a bid to win a face-saving retreat for Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose military bombarded, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Lviv, Zaporizhzhia and other cities after a blast ripped the Kerch Bridge, a 12-mile span that links Russia to Crimea, Ukraine Daily reported.

Photo Insert: Istanbul's plea came as US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned Russia’s illegal annexation of Ukrainian territory and slammed Putin’s attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine.

The Turkish pro-government newspaper Milliyet said Istanbul requested the US, France, Germany, and the UK to hold negotiations with Russia, and "influential figures" in Washington have already reacted positively to the plan, according to the newspaper. No official comments were made regarding the issue.

Istanbul's plea came as US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned Russia’s illegal annexation of Ukrainian territory and slammed Putin’s attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine.

The German government said in its statement that the leaders criticized the Kremlin’s latest nuclear threats and agreed that a nuclear strike would have dire consequences for Russia.

European Union (EU) leaders have condemned the Oct. 9 Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia. Estonian President Alar Karis said it is not just a war, but “a crime against humanity, the organizer of which will be punished." Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde stressed that Russia’s “blatant disregard” for civilian lives puts the issue of accountability front and center.

Lithuania's Foreign Ministry called for providing further support to Ukraine to enable it to defend itself as Russia continues its terror. At least 13 people were killed, and 89 people, including 11 children, were injured in the attack on Oct. 9.

As this developed, Ukraine’s General Staff reported that as of Oct. 9, Russia has lost 62,500 troops in Ukraine. Also destroyed were 2,486 tanks, 5,133 armored fighting vehicles, 3,890 vehicles and fuel tanks, 1,477 artillery systems, 348 multiple launch rocket systems, 180 air defense systems, 266 airplanes, 235 helicopters, 1,086 drones, and 15 boats.

Slovakian Defense Minister Jaro Nad has announced that another batch of Zuzana 2 self-propelled howitzers has been delivered to Ukraine, with more coming soon. "To mark (Vladimir Putin's) 70th birthday, we delivered yet another gift," Nad wrote on Twitter.

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