Erdoğan: Türkiye planning new steps to advance Russia-Ukraine talks

Türkiye is preparing new initiatives to advance dialogue between Russia and Ukraine following the latest round of talks hosted in Istanbul, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on June 24.

Speaking at a news conference in Ankara ahead of his departure for a NATO leaders' summit in the Netherlands, Erdoğan said Türkiye remained committed to contributing to diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the conflict, Caliber.Az reports via Turkish media.

Türkiye has positioned itself as a key mediator in the war, facilitating negotiations on prisoner exchanges and hosting bilateral talks in the past.

In his remarks, Erdoğan also urged NATO allies to lift defense trade restrictions and welcomed the recent ceasefire between Iran and Israel, stressing the need for global diplomacy to prevent further escalation.

To recall, on June 2, 2025, Russian and Ukrainian delegations met in Istanbul for a second round of peace talks, which ended in under two hours without a ceasefire agreement. Both sides agreed only to exchange prisoners of war and repatriate fallen soldiers' remains.

Turkish President Erdoğan is considering hosting a summit with Presidents Zelenskyy, Putin, and Trump, while Ukraine hopes for further talks at the end of June to enable direct leader negotiations.

By Sabina Mammadli