Turkish President Has Considerable Influence In Regional, International Affairs: Kremlin

Kremlin spokesman Dmitriy Peskov praised on Wednesday Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's "significant influence in regional and international affairs."

Speaking at a daily press briefing in Moscow, Peskov said Russia would welcome if Erdogan could use his influence to make Kyiv implement the 2014 Minsk Protocol.

This issue can be raised during the telephone conversation between Russian and Turkish presidents on Friday, he added.

"If Mr. Erdogan can somehow use his influence, and this influence is absolutely unambiguous both regionally and in world affairs in many aspects, if he can use his influence to encourage Kyiv to begin fulfilling its obligations under the Minsk package of measures, the Paris agreements and so on, then this will be welcome," the spokesman said.

Longstanding tensions over Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 have been exacerbated by Russian-backed separatists in the eastern border region of Donbas, along with a Russian military buildup decried by the West.

Amid the buildup, Russia has accused Ukraine of provocations, a charge Kyiv denies.

Minsk agreements

The Minsk agreements were signed to stop the ongoing conflict between the pro-Russian separatists and the Kyiv administration.

The agreements included a cease-fire in the region, prisoner exchange while also allowing the Kyiv administration to make a constitutional amendment that would give Donbass special status.

The pro-Russian separatists, on the other hand, were supposed to withdraw their weapons from the Ukrainian-Russian border.

However, the agreements' implementation has been hampered as the two sides accuse each another of violating the cease-fire. -