This is reported by Kyiv24
The President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, announced his readiness to host the leaders of Ukraine and the Russian Federation for a personal meeting in Istanbul. He made this statement on July 25 while speaking with representatives of the media.
Plans for Diplomatic Talks in Istanbul
Erdogan recalled the recent meeting of delegations from Ukraine and Russia, which already took place in Istanbul. According to the Turkish president, he personally welcomed the Ukrainian delegation and had discussions with Vladimir Putin. Now, the Turkish authorities aim to bring together the leaders of both countries for a joint meeting.
“In the future, we will strive to unite these leaders (Putin and Zelensky – clarification from Erdogan’s press service) in Istanbul,” Erdogan stated.
The Turkish leader suggested that additional negotiations—both with Vladimir Putin and with U.S. President Donald Trump—could be important for organizing such a meeting. According to him, these diplomatic contacts could take place within a week.
Kyiv’s Proposals and Moscow’s Position
During the last round of negotiations in Istanbul, the Ukrainian side proposed to hold a personal meeting between Vladimir Zelensky and Vladimir Putin before the end of summer. The initiative also involves the participation of U.S. President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the talks. However, despite repeated appeals from Kyiv, Moscow has not yet agreed to such a meeting.
On July 23, the third round of negotiations between Ukraine and the Russian Federation took place in Istanbul. During the discussions, the parties agreed to continue exchanges of prisoners of war and also discussed the issue of returning civilian detainees.
Just before the round in Istanbul, the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov visited Ankara, where they held talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan regarding the further development of the peace process.