Turkish foreign minister in Kyiv: War approaching a turning point

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan made this statement today in Kyiv during a press conference following his meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, according to Ukrinform.

“We are approaching a turning point in the war. As stated at the start of the talks in Istanbul on May 16, we have two paths: either ignore the continuation of this war or work toward securing a lasting peace this year… These negotiations have introduced a new dimension to diplomatic solutions,” Fidan said.

He emphasized that Türkiye advocates for a just and lasting peace, noting that the exchange of prisoners following the Istanbul meeting demonstrates the potential for tangible results.

Fidan stressed that Türkiye fully supports Ukraine’s territorial integrity, independence, and sovereignty. The central focus of the current visit is to put an end to the devastation and human suffering caused by the war.

The minister also noted that Russia had expressed its readiness to continue negotiations on June 2, with discussions on the next meeting currently taking place in Kyiv.

"We believe the next round can proceed based on a fundamental decision made by the parties in Istanbul… We are prepared for further talks and want the war between Ukraine and Russia to end fairly and definitively as soon as possible," Fidan stated.

Responding to journalists' questions, the Turkish Foreign Minister shared his expectations for the upcoming round of negotiations in Istanbul.

"We hope that most of the technical work will be completed. In the next stage, we need to make significant progress to hold an informational meeting and, importantly, reach an agreement on a long-term ceasefire," he said.

Fidan also suggested the possibility of a future high-level meeting between the leaders of Ukraine, the United States, Türkiye, and Russia at an negotiation venue in Istanbul.

As reported, on Wednesday, May 28, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that Moscow proposed holding a second round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul on June 2.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called on Russia to immediately provide its "memorandum" with ceasefire proposals to Ukraine, rather than wait until Monday.

On Thursday, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russia has not yet submitted its memorandum with ceasefire proposals to Ukraine and its international partners.

Photo credit: MFA