Türkiye awaits Ukraine’s response for new round of İstanbul peace talks

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced that Russia has expressed its readiness to participate in a third round of peace talks in Istanbul regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine, and that Türkiye is now awaiting a response from the Ukrainian side.

Fidan made the remarks during his evaluation of recent diplomatic developments at the 17th BRICS Summit held in Rio de Janeiro on July 6–7, Caliber.Az reports via Turkish media. 

Addressing the possibility of a summit between world leaders, Fidan said there was no objection in principle from key figures such as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meeting under the mediation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He noted that Putin and others appeared open to direct engagement with their counterparts, including US President Donald Trump.

However, Fidan pointed out that the Russian side believed certain preliminary steps should be taken before such a leaders’ summit could take place. He emphasised that negotiating teams needed to work further and produce concrete outcomes in preparation for the meeting.

Fidan reiterated that Russia had officially conveyed its willingness to proceed with a third round of negotiations in Istanbul, and that Turkish diplomatic channels with Ukraine remain active as they await Kyiv's position.

Highlighting the role of international platforms like BRICS, Fidan described them as valuable opportunities for bilateral diplomacy and behind-the-scenes dialogue.

By Sabina Mammadli