As Russian forces pounded away at Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan extended a joint call from Ankara for an immediate cease-fire. 

“Every day, every bomb drifts Russia further from the world community,” Scholz, who arrived in Turkey on a lightning visit on Monday, said at a press conference at the end of the talks. “[Turkey and Germany] agree on the issue of reaching a cease-fire as soon as possible. Safe corridors are needed so that people can safely leave dangerous areas.”

While Scholz stressed that sanctions against Russia had a “significant impact” on the Russian economy, he carefully refrained from putting Turkey on the spot for not joining them. On Sunday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkey had no intention of joining sanctions against Russia, its leading partner in energy and trade. 

Alongside Scholz, Erdogan repeated the same line but added that Turkey had gone beyond what other NATO countries had done by providing military aid to Ukraine despite Russia. “We have sent not only sent 50 trucks of humanitarian aid to Ukraine but military aid as well,” Erdogan said. “We will continue to do what is necessary.”