Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that the long-awaited peace talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, could take place in Switzerland, Austria or Türkiye once Kyiv receives security guarantees.
"We want to have an understanding of the security guarantees architecture within 7-10 days. And based on that understanding, we aim to hold a trilateral meeting," also with U.S. President Donald Trump, Zelenskyy said.
"Switzerland, Austria – we agree ... For us, Türkiye is a NATO country and part of Europe. And we are not opposed," he said of possible venues in comments to media outlets, including Agence France-Presse (AFP), released on Thursday.
He went on to say that a meeting "without any special conditions is also proactive actions by the Ukrainian side," also rejecting Moscow as a possible venue and describing the prospect of Budapest as "not easy today" due to Hungary's position on the war.
Meanwhile, a Turkish Defense Ministry source said on Thursday that a cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine should be secured first before determining the framework of a peacekeeping mission as part of security guarantees for Ukraine.
"It is necessary to first secure a cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine, then determine the framework of a mission with a clear mandate, and clarify the extent to which each country will contribute," the source said when asked whether Türkiye could consider sending a peacekeeping mission to Ukraine as part of security guarantees.
The sources also stressed that Ankara supports initiatives aimed at peace but warned against speculation.
"Türkiye is a country that produces peace and stability in its region and tries to contribute to all initiatives in this direction.
Zelenskyy’s statements came a day after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a phone call with Putin. The two leaders discussed the Russia-Ukraine conflict and regional issues, according to media reports. A statement by the Kremlin said Erdoğan and Putin also discussed a landmark meeting in Alaska between the Russian leader and Trump.
The Turkish Presidency's Directorate of Communications issued a statement, stating that Putin thanked Erdoğan for the Istanbul Process, hosting peace talks in the city, and Türkiye's overall efforts. Erdoğan, in turn, said Türkiye endorsed all approaches seeking to maintain permanent peace with the participation of "all sides" and closely followed developments regarding the peace process. Erdoğan emphasized that Türkiye has consistently endeavored to ensure a fair peace between the parties since the onset of the conflict. The directorate stated that the two sides agreed to maintain their dialogue.
NATO head Mark Rutte also spoke with Erdoğan this week on his way back to Europe after Trump's meeting with European leaders, the Turkish Presidency said.
The pair discussed "Türkiye's contribution to the peace process, as one of NATO's most important countries" and agreed to remain on close coordination, according to the presidency.
Last month, Türkiye was the scene of another round of talks between the warring countries as part of the Istanbul peace talks.
At the last talks on May 16 and June 2, the two sides agreed to large-scale prisoner exchanges.
They also exchanged their draft terms for ending the conflict, which the Kremlin said were "diametrically opposed."
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan last month called on both sides not to "shut the door" on dialogue.
The rival sides met earlier in Istanbul on May 16 and June 2 amid U.S. pressure to agree on a cease-fire to end the three-year-old conflict. Despite the urging of U.S. President Donald Trump, no major breakthrough was made.
Ukrainian and Russian negotiators have so far only agreed to hold prisoner exchanges. And Russia has since launched intense air attacks on Ukraine and seized more frontline territory.
Russia has demanded that Ukraine give up four regions, on top of Crimea, which it annexed in 2014. The Kremlin also insists that Ukraine should abandon any plans to join the NATO military alliance.
Ukraine has rejected the demands and expressed doubt that Russia wants a cease-fire.
Ankara is keen on boosting its international profile as a key mediator and utilizes Istanbul’s symbolic location to promote diplomacy between the parties involved in conflicts and disagreements on a global level.
NATO member Türkiye is one of the most active countries working to ensure a permanent cease-fire between Ukraine and Russia. Its delicately balanced act of assuming a role as a mediator by keeping communication channels with both warring sides open provides a glimmer of hope in diplomatic efforts to find a solution and achieve peace in the Ukraine crisis. With its unique position of maintaining friendly relations with both Russia and Ukraine, Türkiye has garnered widespread praise for its efforts to end the war.
While Ankara has opposed international sanctions aimed at isolating Moscow, it has also closed its straits to prevent some Russian vessels from crossing through them.
