WASHINGTON

The UN on Tuesday praised Turkiye for hosting diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo said that direct talks between Ukrainian and Russian representatives have continued.

"We commend the government of Turkey for hosting these discussions, as well as the efforts of many others engaging with Russia and Ukraine to help bring about peace," said DiCarlo. "We welcome the willingness of the sides to continue engaging to reach a mutual understanding. This requires good faith and earnest efforts, and progress in the negotiations should be translated quickly into action on the ground.”

On March 10, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba met in the Turkish resort city of Antalya for the first time since the beginning of the war, which did not result in any fruitful outcome.

On March 29, Russian and Ukrainian delegations met for peace talks in Istanbul as the war entered a second month with casualties piling up on both sides.

Ukraine wants to see countries, including Turkiye, as guarantors in a possible deal with Russia, a Ukrainian negotiator said after the talks.

The Istanbul talks were seen as a breakthrough in the push to halt hostilities that, according to the latest UN figures, have claimed the lives of at least 1,430 civilians and left 2,097 injured since Feb. 24.