Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his country’s readiness to host a summit of leaders from Ukraine, the USA, Russia, and Turkey during a phone conversation with Volodymyr Zelensky. This initiative was discussed with the aim of finding ways to achieve sustainable peace amid the ongoing war initiated by the Russian Federation against Ukraine.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Details of the Negotiations Between Ukraine and Turkey
According to Volodymyr Zelensky, during the conversation, the parties exchanged views on the current diplomatic situation and opportunities for advancing a peaceful resolution. The Turkish President emphasized that any negotiations without Ukraine’s participation cannot ensure lasting peace, and that imitating agreements can only escalate aggression from Russia.
“We discussed the current diplomatic situation and the opportunities it presents. President Erdogan clearly stated that any negotiations without Ukraine will not bring sustainable peace. We all understand the risks and threats. An imitated, rather than honest, peace will certainly not last long and will encourage Russia to seize even more territories. He noted that we are ready for any format of meeting to stop the killings and end the war,” Zelensky stated.
The Office of the President of Ukraine clarified that the leaders also discussed preparations for high-level events planned during the UN General Assembly. Additionally, an agreement was reached for joint work by teams to involve Turkey in these initiatives, and Volodymyr Zelensky invited Recep Tayyip Erdogan for an official visit to Ukraine.
Turkey’s Position and International Context
The Turkish President’s office emphasized that the phone call took place at the request of the Ukrainian side. Erdogan highlighted the progress made during direct negotiations in Istanbul between Ukraine and Russia and expressed hope for achieving real results in the upcoming rounds for a ceasefire and lasting peace. According to the Turkish leader, the establishment of working groups in military, humanitarian, and political fields should serve as the foundation for organizing the leaders’ summit.
Erdogan’s office confirmed unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
It is worth noting that the conversation between Zelensky and Erdogan occurred just a few days before the planned meeting on August 15 between US and Russian leaders Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska, where the main topic will be the war in Ukraine. Earlier, Donald Trump did not rule out the possibility of “some exchange of territories” between Ukraine and Russia, but expressed dissatisfaction with the Ukrainian government’s position on the need for constitutional approval of such decisions.
According to Western media, Vladimir Putin informed Trump’s special envoy that he would agree to a ceasefire only on the condition of the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donetsk region. At the same time, sources from The Washington Post report that Putin is not ready to give up claims to occupied territories in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.
Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized the inadmissibility of transferring Ukrainian territories to Russia and stressed that neither he nor European leaders were invited to the summit in the USA. However, the US administration and President Donald Trump maintain contact with the leadership of Ukraine and European partners. A video conference is scheduled for August 13, involving German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, American, and European parties.