Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will reiterate Ankara’s offer to host peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in a gathering of European leaders in London on Sunday, a Turkish diplomatic source said.
NATO ally Turkey previously acted as a go-between for initial discussions between Russia and Ukraine in 2022 and helped mediate the Black Sea grain export deal. Ankara has remained consistent with the position that any future negotiations for peace must include both Moscow and Kyiv.
Though Turkey has been asking for a ceasefire since 2024, it has also lent its support to the American demand for an end to the war. That bid was, however, recently overtaken by a public rift between the president of the United States and the president of Ukraine in Washington.
Fidan will brief EU leaders during Sunday’s meeting about Turkey’s diplomatic efforts to establish a “durable and equitable peace.” Ankara’s backing of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty will also be reaffirmed. Fidan, in the statement of the Turkish official, will emphasize Turkey’s willingness to initiate dialogue and reinforce that all concerned should aim towards long-term stability and economic wealth in the region.
Turkey, which also borders the Black Sea with Russia and Ukraine, has maintained diplomatic relations with both sides throughout the war. Though it has backed Kyiv with military aid, Ankara has refused to impose Western sanctions on Moscow.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a recent trip to Turkey, around the same time as US-Russia negotiations in Riyadh, which were remarkably devoid of Kyiv. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met on Monday in Ankara as well. Fidan and Lavrov also called on Saturday about the most recent developments in the war in Ukraine their third conversation in two weeks.
Meanwhile, US and Russian diplomats met in Istanbul on Thursday to talk about bilateral diplomatic issues. Zelenskyy recently called Turkey a key security guarantor for Ukraine.
