Turkey's President throws support behind Ukraine and Zelensky hails NATO member's 'powerful message' - just two weeks after Erdogan flew to Sochi for talks with Vladimir Putin.
- Erdogan met with Zelensky in Lviv today and afterwards expressed support
- Told reporters that Turkey remains on the side of its 'Ukraine friends'
- His words come weeks after he met Putin for talks in Sochi
- Zelensky described Erdogan's visit to Lviv as a powerful message of support
Turkey's president has today rallied in support of Ukraine, with Zelensky hailing the NATO member's powerful message- just two weeks after Erdogan flew to Sochi for talks with Vladimir Putin. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Voldymyr Zelensky in the western city of Lviv in Ukraine and afterwards expressed Turkey's support towards Ukraine to reporters. He said: 'While continuing our efforts to find a solution, we remain on the side of our Ukraine friends.' His words came just two weeks after he met for talks with Putin in Sochi, with both sides pledging to boost economic cooperation.
Ukraine's president described Erdogan's visit to Lviv as a 'powerful message of support.' But he added that he was 'very surprised' to hear from Erdogan that Russia was ready for 'some kind of peace.' .Zelensky added that he has ruled out peace with Russia unless it withdraws its troops from Ukraine.
'First they should leave our territory and then we'll see', he said.
Meanwhile, United Nations chief Antonio Guterres, who was also present at the meeting in Lviv, has issued warnings surrounding the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
He added that increased fighting at the plant has raised fears of a nuclear incident and that any damage to the plant would be 'suicide.'
Mr Guterres, who in a meeting with Zelensky was urged to ensure security at the plant, said he is 'gravely concerned' about the situation and it should be demilitarised.
'We must tell it like it is - any potential damage to Zaporizhzhia is suicide,' he explained.
Turkey's president also expressed his concerns about Zaporizhzhia and warned of the danger of 'another Chernobyl' erupting there.
It came after Zelensky earlier criticised 'deliberate' Russian attacks on the facility, ahead of his meeting with Mr Guterres and Mr Erdogan.
But Moscow's defence ministry has denied deploying heavy weapons at the power plant in southern Ukraine which has been Russian-controlled since shortly after the February 24 invasion.
But fears have grown over an accident rivalling the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 because Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of shelling Europe's biggest nuclear power plant.