Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East war during a phone call on Friday, the Kremlin said.

The war started over a month ago with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, triggering a conflict throughout the Middle East that has convulsed the global economy and impacted millions of people worldwide.

“The leaders noted their shared positions on the need for an immediate ceasefire and the development of compromise peace agreements that take into account the legitimate interests of all states in the region,” a Kremlin statement said.

“It was noted that intense military action is leading to serious negative consequences not only regionally but also globally, including in the areas of energy, trade, and logistics,” it added.

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Putin and Erdogan also discussed “the importance of coordinated measures to comprehensively ensure security in the Black Sea area,” Kremlin said, accusing Ukraine of “attempts to target gas transportation infrastructure linking Russia and Turkey”.

On Thursday, Russian forces repelled a drone attack on part of the TurkStream gas pipeline that connects southern Russia and Turkey, the pipeline’s operator Gazprom said.

Several European countries, including Hungary, Slovakia and Serbia, receive gas supplies via the pipeline.

Russia has accused Ukraine of attacking it multiple times, most recently in March.

Zelensky Says NATO, PURL Guarantee, Key in Defeating Russia’s ‘Final Argument’ – Ballistic Missiles
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Zelensky Says NATO, PURL Guarantee, Key in Defeating Russia’s ‘Final Argument’ – Ballistic Missiles

President Volodymyr Zelensky said ballistic missiles have become Russia’s “final argument” in its war against Ukraine and expressed the need for stronger air defenses and long-term security financing. He highlighted contributions to the PURL program, joint weapons production and talks with NATO’s Secretary General Mark Rutte on durable financial guarantees, adding that timely partner support could push Moscow towards a “fair and dignified peace.”

Ukraine has struck Russian energy infrastructure throughout the nearly four-year war, in a bid to sap Moscow’s ability to finance its offensive.

Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities have cut power and heating to millions of people since the beginning of its full-scale assault in 2022.

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