Turkey expects direct negotiations on a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia to continue, Ankara’s top diplomat says, reports MIA.

Further meetings are expected in Turkey, likely first between the negotiating teams and then between the foreign ministers, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Cavusoglu said on the sidelines of a NATO meeting in Brussels.

Turkey is also encouraging Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to conduct discussions. Cavusoglu admitted that the images of atrocities in the Ukrainian town of Bucha and other areas had damaged “the relatively positive atmosphere” seen in face-to-face talks in Istanbul last week. “We are still hopeful and cautiously optimistic. At the same time, we are realistic,” Cavusoglu said.