At least Israel, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates have expressed interest in acting as mediators to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Of the European leaders, the President of France Emmanuel Macron has spoken on the phone several times to the Russian president Vladimir Putin after the start of the Russian invasion. Macron has called on Putin in calls to end the war in Ukraine.
At least Israel, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates have also sought to act as intermediaries.
The three countries mentioned above claim to be honest in their mediation efforts on the issue of peace, but at the same time they are all working to foster close trade relations with Russia.
According to critics, this is a matter of polishing the shield, ie the negotiation efforts are aimed at seeking justification for close relations with Russia.
Ukraine has asked Israel to mediate
Israel has close relations with both Ukraine and Russia. Pretty recent prime minister Naphtali Bennett has spoken several times on the phone with both Russian Putin and the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky with.
On Saturday, Bennett was the first Western leader to travel to Moscow to meet Putin face to face after the war began. Prior to this, he spoke with leaders from the United States, France and Germany.
The three-hour discussion between Bennett and Putin also focused on the impact of the war on Ukrainian Jews and negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program. Israel is pushing for Russia to block an agreement with Iran. It is also important for Israel to coordinate military action with Russia in Syria.
About 200,000 Jews lived in Ukraine before the war. Some of them have fled the country to Israel.
Putin is said to have told Russia the terms of the meeting. Bennett has since talked to Zelensky.
Ukraine has asked Israel for arms assistance, which it has not received. In both Ukraine and Israel, this has provoked opposition. Bennett’s trip to Moscow has also been criticized. The Prime Minister has assured him of his sincere commitment to peace. Israel has condemned the war started by Russia.
The EU asked China for help
China has been seen as a potential mediator to end the war started by Russia. The EU has hoped that China will take on the role of mediator to put pressure on Russia to cease ceasefire and end the war.
China has a lot of its own interests at stake. China has refused to call the war launched by Russia an attack. On Monday, the Foreign Minister Wang Yi called Russia China’s most important strategic partner.
Following Russia, the President of China Xi Jinping opposes NATO enlargement and Russian President Vladimir Putin supports China’s Taiwan policy. Xi and Putin met in Beijing in February as the Olympics begin.
China and Russia have recently signed major energy agreements, among other things. China opposes Western sanctions on Russia. According to China, sanctions create more problems.
Turkey has offered itself as a peace mediator
President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has offered to mediate to end the war started by Russia.
In early February, weeks before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Turkey offered to host a meeting between Putin and Zelensky.
After the attack, Erdoğan has demanded an immediate ceasefire from Putin on the phone.
Mr Erdoğan has been hoping that Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers will be able to meet at a diplomatic forum in Antalya, Turkey next weekend.
Turkey has condemned Russia’s attack in UN votes.
Turkey plays for two cards. It sees Ukraine as a country of influence and a buffer between it and Russia. The Black Sea region is of strategic importance to Turkey.
On the other hand, Russia is Turkey’s most important trading partner. Turkey obtains much of its energy from Russia and is visited by many Russian tourists.
The United Arab Emirates has good relations with Russia
Russia’s close ally, the United Arab Emirates, has also shown itself to be a mediator. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed has talked on the phone with Putin.
According to the Crown Prince, the United Arab Emirates will coordinate between the parties to help “find a lasting political solution”.
The UAE did not first vote against Russia’s attack on the UN Security Council. However, in a subsequent vote in the UN General Assembly, the United Arab Emirates called on Russia to withdraw from Ukraine.
The UAE wants to nurture good relations with Russia. Trade between the countries has increased tenfold in just over 20 years. The UAE and Russia have joint projects in Libya and elsewhere in Africa, among others.
More than half of Russia’s trade in the Gulf goes to the United Arab Emirates. In Russia, the United Arab Emirates is the largest investor in the Arab world.
Emerging India wants Russia’s attention
Indian Hindu Nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modikin has talked with Putin. Modin is said to have demanded Putin in direct talks with Ukraine’s Zelensky.
India abstained in both UN votes condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Nearly 60 percent of the army in the Indian military comes from Russia, and most of India’s nuclear technology is made in Russia.
It is also in India’s interest to get more attention from Russia at the expense of China.
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