Türkiye ready to host talks between Ukraine and Russia – Erdoğan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron. The leaders discussed bilateral relations between Türkiye and France, regional and global issues, including Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Erdoğan told Macron that Türkiye is ready to contribute to peace, including by hosting negotiations.

“President Erdoğan stated during the meeting that a historic turning point has been reached on the path toward ending the war between Ukraine and Russia, that this opportunity should be seized, and that Türkiye is ready to do everything possible, including hosting negotiations, to ensure a ceasefire and lasting peace,” the statement reads.

Erdoğan also told Macron about “the importance of continuing cooperation in the delicately implemented processes of initiating permanent peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.”

Putin wants negotiations in Istanbul

On May 10, an important meeting of the Coalition of the Willing took place in Kyiv. Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

After the meeting, the leaders held a phone call with US President Donald Trump. After that, Ukraine announced its readiness for a ceasefire for at least 30 days starting May 12. Europe warned Moscow that new sanctions would follow in the event of refusal.

Putin ignored the proposal. At a nighttime press conference, he called for the renewal of direct negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul starting May 15 without any preconditions.

Putin said that on May 11 he would discuss the matter with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. As later stated by Russia, these are allegedly to be negotiations taking into account the talks of 2022 and the situation “on the ground.”

In response, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is ready for dialogue only after a full and comprehensive ceasefire.