Turkiye's mediation 'possible' for liberation of Mariupol: Ukrainian president

By Dmitri Chirciu and Davit Kachkachishvili

KYIV, Ukraine (AA) - Mentioning efforts for the liberation of Mariupol, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday pointed to Turkiye's possible mediation.

Zelenskyy visited the Ukrainian city of Bucha, which was liberated from Russia, defining what happened in the city as "war crimes."

"This is absolutely war crimes and genocide. Because thousands of people were killed here," he added.

In response to a question on the possibility of a meeting with Russia's President Vladimir Putin, Zelenskyy said the Russian side should act fast to arrange a meeting.

Delaying the negotiation process would worsen the situation for Russia, he noted.

There is a possibility of Turkiye's mediation "in this special mission in Mariupol," Zelenskyy said, adding that the issue might be clarified in the coming days or hours.

He also reiterated that Ukraine will continue negotiations with Russia.

Russia’s war against Ukraine, which started on Feb. 24, has been met with international outrage, with the European Union, US, and UK, among others, implementing tough sanctions on Moscow.

At least 1,430 civilians have been killed in Ukraine and 2,097 injured, according to UN estimates, with the true figure feared to be far higher.

More than 4.21 million Ukrainians have also fled to other countries, with millions more internally displaced, according to the UN refugee agency.