Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have jointly urged an immediate ceasefire in the ongoing Middle East war. According to a Kremlin statement released on Friday, the two leaders made the appeal during a phone conversation, emphasizing the need for a negotiated peace agreement that considers the legitimate interests of all countries in the region.

The conflict began about a month ago following attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran, which subsequently spread across the Middle East. The Kremlin warned that the intensifying military confrontation is having negative effects not only regionally but also globally, particularly on energy, trade, and supply chains.

During the same call, Putin and Erdogan also discussed security in the Black Sea region. Russia accused Ukraine of attempting to attack gas transport infrastructure connecting Russia and Turkey. Gazprom reported that a drone attack on the TurkStream gas pipeline was thwarted on Thursday, a route that supplies gas to several European countries including Hungary, Slovakia, and Serbia.