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Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warned on Saturday that the war between Russia and Ukraine has inflicted enormous economic and social damage, particularly on Europe, and that the conflict can no longer go on in its current form. He was speaking to Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency and public broadcaster TRT on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta.
"These wars are no longer sustainable. Therefore, Russia and Ukraine must reach an agreement," Fidan said. He said the economic and social costs of the conflict have become increasingly difficult to ignore, particularly for European countries, and argued that governments have struggled to acknowledge the full cost.
Fidan said the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has significantly compounded the economic consequences of the Ukraine war, disrupting energy supplies and international trade. He said the interconnected nature of the global economy made it increasingly difficult to calculate the full financial impact of these disruptions. European industries had long benefited from relatively inexpensive Russian energy, supporting manufacturing, exports and financial activity, he said, and the breakdown of those economic links has created far-reaching consequences. He stressed that the mounting economic burden must be brought to an end.
He also raised disruptions to commercial shipping in the Black Sea, saying Russian and Ukrainian grain and energy supplies are struggling to reach global markets. "Food security, in particular, is an incredibly problematic issue. It needs to be brought to a halt as soon as possible," he said. He said Türkiye is continuing intensive diplomatic contacts to facilitate the transportation of grain from the Black Sea to international markets, and he called for the dispute between the United States and Iran that led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to be resolved as soon as possible, stressing the importance of reopening critical international trade routes.
Fidan warned that the conflict could expand further if diplomatic efforts fail, saying many of the scenarios Türkiye had previously feared had already materialised. "If we do not stop it, the conflict could expand further — a scenario we certainly do not wish to see. To be frank, we are warning both international and regional actors about this. For our part, we will continue to do everything we can," he said.
A lasting settlement, he added, would require not only peace between Russia and Ukraine but a redefined, constructive relationship between Europe and Russia. "A constructive relationship between Europe and Russia needs to be redefined in the aftermath of peace. This is because any peace agreement that Ukraine reaches with Russia will not be limited to those two countries alone. In a sense, Europe also needs to reconcile with Russia and restart certain aspects of their relationship. This is important," Fidan said.
Context: the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta on October 30-31, hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, ended without a joint communique amid divisions over Russia's war in Ukraine and tensions involving Iran. Separately on Saturday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Istanbul.