Peskov: Putin-Erdogan call has no plans, but contact can be arranged quickly

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there are currently no specific plans for contact between Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but one could be arranged quickly if necessary. At the briefing, he also addressed diesel shipments, the U.S. election results and accusations against pro-Russian hackers.

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a briefing on Thursday that there are currently no specific plans for a phone call between Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “No, there are currently no specific plans for such contact. But if necessary, it can be arranged quite quickly,” he said in response to journalists’ questions.

The question came after Erdogan said he intended to discuss the conflict in Ukraine with Putin. Anadolu Agency reported that the Turkish leader said Ankara would continue its efforts to achieve peace between Russia and Ukraine and promised to discuss the issue with Putin after meeting with Vladimir Zelensky. Erdogan and Zelensky held talks in Türkiye on October 31, with the security of navigation in the Black Sea among the topics.

Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a meeting in 2025

Leaders’ latest contacts

Putin and Erdogan last met in person on September 1 in Bishkek. Their one-on-one conversation lasted almost an hour and a half, instead of the planned 30 minutes. According to Yuri Ushakov, an aide to the Russian president, the main topic was the situation around the Black Sea. On October 7, the leaders held a phone call during which Erdogan congratulated Putin on his birthday, stressed the importance of navigation safety in the Black Sea and again confirmed Ankara’s readiness to help initiate direct contacts between Russia and Ukraine.

“All the diesel will find buyers”

Peskov also commented on reports that tankers carrying Russian diesel fuel bound for the United States had changed course. The Kremlin declined to disclose details, citing the commercial nature of the shipments. “You know that the shipments were carried out. These are commercial shipments, so naturally the details cannot be made public. All the diesel will find buyers,” Peskov said. He urged people not to see a connection between the U.S. election results and the change in the tankers’ route.

Trump and the congressional election results

Commenting on the midterm election results, in which Democrats gained control of both chambers of Congress, Peskov expressed confidence that Donald Trump would continue his foreign policy, while everything else was an internal matter for the United States. He stressed that Russia is a sovereign state and that safeguarding its interests is not linked to the situation in the United States.

Peskov said Moscow would prefer to secure its interests in the Ukrainian direction by peaceful means if someone in Kyiv “shows political will.” Until that becomes possible, the special military operation will continue, he added.

In addition, the Kremlin called “absolutely absurd” the accusations that pro-Russian hackers were involved in attacks on supermarket refrigeration systems in Europe. “Unfortunately, such baseless accusations against our country are becoming a persistent trend in European countries,” Peskov said. He also said that Russia would be represented at a meeting with U.S. First Lady Melania Trump by human rights commissioner Yana Lantratova and presidential special representative Kirill Dmitriev.

Photo: RIA Novosti, Kremlin.ru / Wikimedia Commons

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Peskov: Putin-Erdogan call has no plans, but contact can be arranged quickly