Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met in Moscow to discuss efforts to end the war in Ukraine and the progress made since direct talks between the warring parties, according to a Turkish Foreign Ministry source.
Fidan is on a two-day visit to Moscow, where he met with Putin on Monday and also with Russia’s lead negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, the source said. Fidan is scheduled to meet with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, on Tuesday.
While no specific timetable or location has been agreed upon for future talks between Russia and Ukraine, Turkey, a NATO ally, has repeatedly offered to host such discussions.
Delegates from Moscow and Kyiv met in Istanbul earlier this month for the first time since March 2022, a month after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While no ceasefire was reached, the parties agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war and provide written conditions for a potential ceasefire.
During their meeting, Putin and Fidan discussed “the initiatives carried out recently to end the war between Ukraine and Russia, (and) developments following the negotiations held in Istanbul,” the Turkish source stated.
Bilateral economic and energy issues were also discussed, the source added.
Russia stated on Monday that the primary focus of the talks would be bilateral relations, but that Ukraine would also be addressed.
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Prior to the meeting, the Turkish source indicated that Fidan would reiterate Ankara’s offer to host the sides and continue to act as a “facilitator.”
Fidan is also expected to travel to Kyiv later this week to meet with Ukrainian officials and follow up on the Istanbul talks.
Russian sources have identified Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman as potentially suitable locations for future talks.
