Turkey has called for a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine as soon as possible, saying the two countries are moving away from diplomacy as the war drags on.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has long sought to bring his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts, Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky, together for truce talks in Istanbul.

"A ceasefire should be established as soon as possible. The sooner the better," Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in a televised interview.

NATO member Turkey, which is trying to maintain neutrality after Russia's war in Ukraine, has good relations with its two Black Sea neighbors.

"Unfortunately, the two countries are rapidly moving away from diplomacy after the talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in Istanbul in March," Cavusoglu said. "As the Ukrainian-Russian war drags on, unfortunately, the situation is getting worse and more complicated," he added.

The minister also called for a "just peace" based on Ukraine's territorial integrity.

"There must be a just peace for Ukraine. Where is the war being fought? It is being fought on Ukrainian territory," he said. "A process must be started that will guarantee the borders and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Without a ceasefire, it is not possible to talk about these issues."

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