Ankara believes it has an obligation to help facilitate peace, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said
Türkiye is willing to host another round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said. The diplomat added that his country sees the facilitation of peace as a national responsibility.
Russia and Ukraine resumed direct talks earlier this month, marking a shift for Kiev, which abandoned diplomatic efforts in 2022 in favor of seeking a military victory. Speaking at a joint press conference in Moscow alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday, Fidan reiterated Ankara’s readiness to serve as a mediator.
”We consider securing global peace our duty. Our president, Mr. [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan, has been strongly calling on the world community to seek peace since the start of the war,” Fidan said.
The minister noted that on Monday he met with Vladimir Medinsky, the head of Russia’s negotiating delegation in Istanbul, as part of his official visit to Moscow. Fidan also said he had an opportunity to discuss bilateral relations with President Vladimir Putin.
Lavrov praised Turkish hospitality, calling Istanbul “a very nice place,” and said he would personally prefer that the next round of peace talks be held there.
Ukraine returned to the negotiating table following pressure from US President Donald Trump, who is attempting to mediate a truce between the two countries. Kiev and its European backers had demanded that Moscow agree to a 30-day unconditional ceasefire before any talks.
The initial round of negotiations took place in Istanbul on May 16 and led to the largest prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine since the conflict intensified in 2022. Russian officials say they are drafting a roadmap that includes a conditional ceasefire designed to support further dialogue. Moscow has opposed Kiev’s proposal for a pause in hostilities, arguing it would allow Ukraine to regroup militarily.
Trump had previously floated the idea of holding the second round of talks at the Vatican, but Russia expressed reservations. Lavrov remarked that the Catholic center would not serve as a neutral venue for negotiations between two predominantly Orthodox Christian nations. Moscow has accused the Ukrainian government of targeting Orthodox Christians in its broader campaign to suppress Russian culture.
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