Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that the 2022 Istanbul accords on the Ukrainian remained “on the table” and could serve as a foundation for peace negotiations with Ukraine.

Speaking at a summit of Shanghai Cooperation Organization leaders in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana, Putin thanked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his mediation efforts between Russia and Ukraine.

“The agreements of Istanbul, I thank for this the president of the Turkish Republic, Mr. Erdogan who participated in this project as a mediatorthese agreements have not been rejected, were approved by the head of the Ukrainian negotiating delegation, which means, apparently, they were quite satisfactory for Ukraine. These agreements, the Istanbul agreements, remain on the table and can serve as a basis for continuing these negotiations,” he said, according to Anadolu.

Russia has never refused and is now ready to resume peace talks, Putin asserted.

“It was Ukraine that refused to negotiate… Moreover, it did so publicly, on direct instructions from London, which means there is no doubt about it, also at the request of Washington. Ukrainian officials say so directly and openly,” he insisted.

In March 2022, Moscow and Kiev held a series of talks in Istanbul, aimed at finding common ground to end the conflict in Ukraine.

In a rapidly changing global landscape, a multipolar world order is officially here, the Russian president also stated as reported by TASS.

“We are convinced that together with the BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a pillar of the emerging world order. These two organizations serve as a powerful driving force behind global development processes and efforts to ensure true multipolarity,” Putin added.

The Russian president noted that “an increasing number of countries are calling for a fairer world order and expressing determination to defend their legal rights and traditional values; new centers of power and economic development are emerging and strengthening.”