Turkey on Tuesday called for a ceasefire in Ukraine just days ahead of a meeting between the leaders of Turkey and Russia in the Kazakh capital Astana.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who won plaudits for securing a grain deal as well as Russia-Ukraine prisoner swap, has long sought to bring together Kyiv and Moscow for truce talks that neither side particularly wants.
Turkey's call comes ahead of a meeting set for Thursday between Vladimir Putin and Erdogan, who has a good working relationship with the Russian leader despite disagreements on several issues including in Syria.
Nato member Turkey, which has stayed neutral throughout the conflict in Ukraine, also has good ties with Kyiv.
But increasing Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities are further diminishing the chances for a diplomatic solution which Ankara has longed for since the war began in February.
"Unfortunately (both sides) have quickly moved away from diplomacy" since the talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in Istanbul in March, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in a televised interview.
"As the Ukraine-Russian war drags on, unfortunately, the situation gets worse and more complicated," added the Turkish diplomat, who called for an immediate ceasefire.