Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Russia highly appreciates Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s efforts for peace.
“We highly appreciate Mr. Erdogan’s efforts, his peacekeeping activities, his attempts to provide mediation services, and his attitude to the development of bilateral Russian-Turkish relations,” Peskov said at a press briefing in Moscow, commenting on an idea to nominate the Turkish leader for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Turning to the upcoming three-day visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Peskov said March 21 will be the day of talks, while on March 20, Putin and Jinping will take part in informal events.
The extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative
About controversial reports on the extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Peskov said Russia agreed to a 60-day term.
Peskov also criticized the eviction of monks from the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra in Ukraine’s capital, regretting that “these illegal actions of the Kyiv regime do not receive proper condemnation from the international community.”
“We condemn them in the strongest terms. The Kyiv regime once again demonstrates its character by these illegal actions, encroachments on the church. … This once again proves and shows that everything we do is absolutely right,” he stressed.
On Warsaw’s decision to supply the MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, Peskov said it is “another example of how a number of member countries of the North Atlantic Alliance, including Poland, increase the level of their direct involvement in the conflict.”
“Of course, during a special military operation, all this equipment will be subject to destruction,” he said.
The plans of Slovakia and Poland to transfer the MiG-29 to Ukraine look like the disposal of the unnecessary, Peskov added.
“It seems that these countries are thus engaged in the disposal of old unnecessary equipment,” he added.