Diplomacy is needed to end the war between Ukraine and Russia, Türkiye’s new U.N. envoy Sedat Önal stressed Wednesday.

Speaking at an emergency session on Ukraine at the U.N. General Assembly, Önal said the fact that the war in Ukraine is about to "enter its second year with little prospect of peace is disheartening."

"The trajectory of the crisis cannot be decided just by the dynamics of the battleground. Instead, a clear vision for ending this war through diplomacy has to be articulated sooner rather than later," he said.

The envoy said that since day one, Türkiye had adopted a principled position in rejecting the war in Ukraine and calling it unacceptable.

"We also tried to facilitate diplomacy at an early stage both in Antalya and Istanbul," he noted.

Önal reiterated Türkiye’s position on the war and said Ankara fully supports Ukraine’s territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty.

"We continue to stand firmly against this war and reject the annexation of the Ukrainian territories under Russian control," he added.

Türkiye is one of the most active countries working to ensure a permanent cease-fire between Ukraine and Russia. Its delicately balanced act of assuming a mediator role by keeping communication channels with both warring sides open provides a glimmer of hope in diplomatic efforts to find a solution and achieve peace in Ukraine.

With the unique position of having friendly relations with both Russia and Ukraine, Türkiye has won widespread appreciation for its push to end the war.

Since the beginning of the conflict, Ankara has offered to mediate between the two sides and host peace talks, underlining support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. In addition, while Türkiye has opposed international sanctions designed to isolate Moscow, the country has also closed its straits to prevent some Russian vessels from crossing.

In a breakthrough, Russian and Ukrainian delegations met for peace talks in Istanbul on March 29, 2022. Türkiye also hosted Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers in Antalya earlier in March while facilitating a grain deal.

Önal also cited the Black Sea Grain Initiative brokered by Türkiye and the U.N. and said it has proven that diplomacy can deliver results.

"As we enter the second year of this conflict, Türkiye will remain engaged in all efforts towards this end," he added.

Meanwhile, Ukraine was expected to ask Türkiye and the United Nations this week to start talks to roll over the Black Sea grain deal, seeking an extension of at least one year, including the ports of Mykolaiv, a senior Ukrainian official said Wednesday.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative allowed grain to be exported from three Ukrainian ports. The agreement was extended in November and will expire on March 18 unless an extension is agreed upon.