Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday praised Türkiye's ongoing mediation efforts, expressing gratitude to Ankara for its diplomatic work to broker negotiations with Russia to help end the war, now in its fifth year.
Zelenskyy's remarks came after he met in Kyiv with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, whom he awarded the Order of Merit, Second Class.
"I am grateful to Türkiye and to the Minister personally for the efforts to bring peace closer," the president wrote on the social media platform X.
"Today, we discussed the diplomatic situation and the steps that could reinvigorate efforts to achieve peace."
NATO member Türkiye has sought to maintain good relations with its warring Black Sea neighbors, pitching itself as a key go-between and possible peacemaker between the two.
It has played a role in brokering several prisoner swap deals between Russia and Ukraine and helped put in place a deal in 2022 to ensure grain could be shipped safely from Ukraine's Black Sea ports. The accord remained in effect for a year.
Istanbul was the venue of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in the early weeks of the conflict four years ago.
Ukraine is in its best battlefield position since late 2022, gaining new battlefield momentum while striking Russia's oil sector and military logistics in drone and missile attacks.
Despite those gains, Kyiv's forces still face grinding Russian advances in the east amid a critical shortage of ground troops, as well as a lack of air defenses as Moscow steps up strikes with ballistic missiles.
Throughout the conflict, Ukraine and Russia have repeatedly struck each other's ships in the Black Sea, a key shipping route for both countries' exports as well as Türkiye's.
Zelenskyy said he and Fidan discussed the situation on the battlefield, as well as Ankara's diplomatic contacts at various levels.
Earlier on Thursday, Fidan said the "Istanbul format" of peace negotiations between its Black Sea neighbors should continue.
He also said Türkiye did not want to see the war spread further into the Black Sea, adding that Ankara is exploring new strategic approaches to break the current deadlock in the conflict.
"There is simply no explanation for a war in Europe to continue for five years in the 21st century. We need peace more than ever," Fidan said at a news conference alongside his Ukrainian counterpart.
Fidan, who met President Vladimir Putin in Russia last month, said Türkiye was ready to host future talks.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Zelenskyy would be ready to meet Putin in Türkiye.
The Kremlin chief has repeatedly rejected meeting Zelenskyy until a deal is agreed to end the war.
U.S.-led talks have also stalled and the two sides remain far apart in their terms for peace.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's Parliament ratified the free trade agreement (FTA) with Türkiye on Tuesday.
The deal was signed during President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's visit to Ukraine in February 2022. It completed Türkiye's ratification process in 2024.
Zelenskyy said talks with Fidan, among others, also focused on the implementation of the trade pact.
"We expect trade between our countries to keep growing," he wrote.
