Russia-Ukraine ceasefire is ultimate aim, says Turkish foreign minister

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul aim to secure a ceasefire that can open the door to lasting peace.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Wednesday reaffirmed Türkiye’s commitment to facilitating peace between Russia and Ukraine, stating that the "ultimate goal" of the trilateral talks is to achieve a ceasefire that will lay the groundwork for a broader peace settlement.

Speaking at the third round of peace talks in Istanbul between delegations from Moscow and Kyiv, Fidan said Türkiye will continue to play its role as facilitator.

“We consider the exchange of memorandums reflecting the parties’ perspectives on a ceasefire and peace in the second round of talks a significant development,” he said, referring to progress made during previous meetings.

The third round follows two earlier sessions held on 16 May and 2 June, also in Istanbul. Those talks resulted in agreements to exchange additional prisoners of war, giving priority to the youngest and most severely wounded, and to return the bodies of 6,000 fallen soldiers from each side.

Russia and Ukraine also presented memorandums during those rounds, outlining their respective visions for ending the conflict, which began with Russia’s full-scale military offensive in February 2022.

The current round brings together high-level delegations. Russia is represented by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, while Ukraine’s team is headed by Rustem Umerov, chief of the country’s National Security and Defense Council.

Fidan voiced hope that this session will move beyond technicalities and lead to “substantive and result-oriented consultations” based on the earlier exchanged proposals.

Copied