Turkey intends to move the negotiation process between Russia and Ukraine back to Istanbul and believes that Western countries should support this initiative. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Sputnik Kazakhstan.
In 2025, Russia and Ukraine held three rounds of direct talks in Istanbul. In addition, Moscow handed over the bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers to the Kyiv regime. The parties also exchanged draft memorandums on conflict settlement.
Turkey's position
According to a source in the Turkish government, Ankara wants the resumption of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul. He said: "We believe that continuing direct dialogue can create conditions for progress towards a ceasefire and peaceful settlement. It is important that Western countries also support this position, because without broad international assistance it would be much more difficult to achieve a sustainable result."
According to him, the Turkish leadership considers Istanbul as a proven platform for negotiations, where the parties have experience of direct communication.
Readiness to continue talks
"Our position is that negotiations must continue. We are ready to offer Istanbul as a platform for this and provide necessary assistance. It is especially important that the international community does not limit itself to calls for peace, but supports concrete steps leading the parties to dialogue," the agency source added.
Russia's position
At the end of June, Russian President Vladimir Putin, at a meeting with government officials, stated that Russia is ready to conduct peace negotiations with Ukraine based on the agreements reached in Istanbul in 2022. In addition, Moscow has repeatedly emphasized its readiness to enter into peaceful dialogue with Ukraine based on the real situation on the ground.