Türkiye pushes for Ukraine ceasefire as high-stakes talks open in Istanbul
Photo: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (Getty Images)
Türkiye is prepared to assist in monitoring a potential ceasefire in Ukraine, as the country has the necessary infrastructure in place, says Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan in an opening speech to the Ukraine-Russia talks taking place in Istanbul.
"We have the necessary infrastructure in place regarding the monitoring mechanism in case a ceasefire agreement is reached," Fidan said.
He also noted that Türkiye could help facilitate prisoner exchanges based on a more structured framework.
"On the occasion of the Istanbul negotiations, we have the opportunity to demonstrate that diplomacy and dialogue are more effective in achieving peace than confrontation and weapons," the Turkish foreign minister added.
Third round of Ukraine-Russia talks
Ukraine has already held two rounds of talks with Russia—in May and June of this year.
Today, July 23, Ukrainian and Russian delegations are meeting for the third time in Istanbul.
Ahead of the meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy approved the delegation lineup, which is being led by National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov.
According to RBC-Ukraine, the Ukrainian side plans to raise the issue of a possible face-to-face meeting between Zelenskyy and Russian president Vladimir Putin during the talks.
Moscow, meanwhile, has stated that such a meeting can only happen after both sides agree on draft joint memoranda.
For full details on the latest round of talks in Istanbul, see the full RBC-Ukraine report.
