ANKARA — Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Wednesday proposed that Turkey take an active role in initiating peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.

At a joint press conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, Tusk said both Turkey and Poland have wanted peace since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The leaders of Turkey and Poland met in Ankara to discuss strengthening Turkey-Poland relations, Turkey-EU ties during the Polish presidency of the European Council and regional issues including Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine.

Tusk said Warsaw welcomed talks held in Saudi Arabia this week – in which Ukraine agreed to a US-proposed immediate one-month ceasefire pending Moscow’s acceptance.

“Our goal is to stabilize the region. We need to rebuild Ukraine,” he said, “This is an opportunity for both Polish and Turkey companies."

Following a meeting between the two leaders in which they discussed bilateral and global issues, Erdogan told reporters that Turkey and Poland are key allies positioned on the eastern and southern flanks of NATO.

The two countries command the alliance’s two largest ground armies in Europe.

Erdogan also emphasized that membership of the European Union is a strategic goal of Turkey.

“If the European Union wants to prevent and even reverse its loss of power and altitude, it can only do so with Turkey’s full membership,” he said. — Euronews