Washington Post: Only two world leaders can convince Putin to stop the Ukraine war

“What world leader could earn the trust of Russian President Vladimir Putin?” starts an article published in the Washington Post as it searches far and wide for global figures who could bring together Ukrainian President Zelenskyy with his strongman Russian counterpart and end the invasion.

One of the two rare world leaders is Turkey’s very own president: Recep Tayyip Erdogan, writes Adam Taylor in an analysis titled “Putin’s extreme isolation leaves few world leaders to convince him of a peace deal.”

“Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday urged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to declare a ceasefire in Ukraine, open humanitarian corridors and sign a peace agreement,” the Post wrote, citing Reuters.

Turkey is set to host both foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine at a diplomacy conference in the southern resort town of Antalya that begins Friday.

The other world leader that could convince Putin, according to Taylor, is Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennet, who visited Moscow over the weekend for an unannounced meeting with Putin.

“Both Bennett and Erdogan have attributes that could make them desirable third parties. Israel is a long-standing ally of the United States, while Turkey is a fully fledged member of NATO.”

Russia’s “full-scale” invasion of Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, has drawn international condemnation, led to financial sanctions on Moscow, and spurred an exodus of global firms from Russia. The West has also imposed biting export restrictions on key technologies that are now prohibited from being sent to Russia.

At least 406 civilians have been killed and 801 others injured in Ukraine since the beginning of the war, according to the UN, while also cautioning that conditions on the ground make it difficult to verify the true number.

Some 2 million people have also fled to neighboring countries, the UN refugee agency said.