Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is due to visit Turkey June 8 as Ankara looks for a Russian or US nod to press ahead with a new military intervention against Kurdish-held areas in northern Syria.

Though Lavrov’s talks in Ankara are expected to focus on the Ukraine war and its economic ramifications for Turkey, their importance has grown amid Ankara’s intervention threats. Asked about the issue last week, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said that Russian officials need to talk with their Turkish counterparts first, adding that Defense Ministry officials would accompany Lavrov on the trip. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson expressed hope that Ankara would avoid moves that would make matters worse in the war-ravaged country.

Speaking in parliament the day before, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, “We are entering a new phase in our decision to create a safe zone with a depth of 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) along our southern border. We are cleansing terrorists from Tel Rifaat and Manbij.” He was referring to the People’s Protection Units (YPG), which, Ankara says, is the franchise of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in Syria. The PKK is designated as a terrorist group by Ankara and much of the international community over its nearly four-decade armed campaign in Turkey. Though the Turkish military operation has not officially begun, the situation on the contact lines with the Kurds is already akin to a war, short only of a ground offensive beyond the lines.

Erdogan is expected to refrain from ordering the troops into Tel Rifaat and Manbij without a green light from the United States, the main backer of the Syrian Kurds, or Russia, the main ally of the Syrian government. Washington has voiced objections to Turkey’s plans, while Moscow’s messages have been more ambiguous since Erdogan first raised the specter of a new operation last month.