Turkey on Friday proposed to host a meeting between the American, Russian, and Ukrainian presidents in an effort to advance toward an end to the three-year war in Ukraine.
NATO member Turkey, which has strove to maintain relations with both Kyiv and Moscow, has become a key mediator amid US President Donald Trump’s push for a deal to end the fighting.
“We sincerely think that it is possible to cap the first and second direct Istanbul talks with a meeting between Mr. Trump, Mr. (Vladimir) Putin and M. (Volodymyr) Zelensky, under the direction of Mr. (Recep Tayyip Erdogan),” Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said while on a visit to Kyiv.
“We can either close our eyes to the continuation of this war, or to reach a durable peace before the end of the year,” Fidan said. “Expectations for a ceasefire and peace have increased.”