Erdogan Says Turkiye Is Working to Revive Russia-Ukraine Talks With Leaders

Turkiye is making efforts to revive negotiations between Russia and Ukraine and bring together the leaders of the warring sides, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, according to a readout from the Turkish presidency.

“More than three years after the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv and Moscow plan to relaunch peace negotiations”

Actu.fr

The meeting took place in Ankara, and the presidency said Erdogan told Rutte that “we were engaged, as Turkiye, for the Ukraine-Russia war to end with peace, and that we are working to revive negotiations and start talks at leaders’ level.”

Actu.fr

The Turkish presidency also said Erdogan told Rutte that maintaining transatlantic ties was “indispensable,” while Ankara expected European NATO allies to take more responsibility for transatlantic security.

Separately, Erdogan held a phone call with German Chancellor Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and the presidency said Erdogan informed him of Ankara’s efforts to achieve a lasting peace through talks in Ukraine.

In that call, Erdogan said the US-Iran war was “starting to weaken Europe” and that damage from the conflict would increase if world powers failed to intervene with “peace-oriented approaches.”

The Turkish presidency added that Erdogan told Steinmeier that “Turkiye was working to end the Ukraine-Russia war through negotiations and reach lasting peace, just as it is trying with regards to Iran.”

The same readout described Ankara’s position that it has maintained good ties with both sides since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Kyiv said it asked Turkiye, a NATO member, to host a leaders’ level meeting with Russia, as Ukraine sought to break a diplomatic stalemate.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha told reporters on Tuesday, cleared for release on Wednesday, “We asked the Turks about it, we asked some other capitals,” according to Al Jazeera and the Kyiv Post.

Al Jazeera

Sybiha said Ukraine would be ready to consider any place other than Belarus or Russia for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and he added that Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has long sought to try to hasten a resolution of the more than four-year war.

The Kyiv Post reported Sybiha said, “We addressed the Turks specifically,” and that “if another capital, besides Moscow and Belarus, organizes such a meeting, we will go.”

The New Voice of Ukraine similarly reported Sybiha saying, “We have asked the Turks and several other capitals,” and that “If any capital other than Moscow or Minsk hosts such a meeting, we will go.”

In the same New Voice of Ukraine account, Sybiha said Ukraine would accept any location except Russia or Belarus, and it quoted him saying, “This is important for us.”

The Jerusalem Post also reported Sybiha’s remarks that Ukraine would be ready to consider any place other than Belarus or Russia for a meeting with Putin, while noting that Sybiha did not say how Ankara had responded.

Russian officials, meanwhile, signaled that Moscow remains the preferred venue for any direct meeting between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“Ukraine has proposed Turkey as a venue for Zelensky-Putin talks, and the Polymarket odds of a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire by May 31, 2026, have moved up slightly to The proposal is an attempt to break a diplomatic deadlock, but Russia insists on Moscow as the venue, which limits its practical effect”

Crypto Briefing

Al Jazeera reported that Russian news agencies quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying Putin would be ready to meet his counterpart only for the purpose of finalising agreements on the conflict.

In that account, TASS quoted Peskov telling Russian state television, “The main thing is the goal of this meeting. Why should they meet? Putin has said he is ready for a meeting in Moscow at any moment.”

Peskov also said, “The main thing is that there should be a reason to meet, and the main thing is that the meeting should be productive.”

He added that it “can only be for the purpose of finalising agreements.”

The Firstpost account likewise said the Kremlin previously said it is willing to host Zelenskiy in Moscow, where the Ukrainian leader has said he will not go.

Even the Crypto Briefing’s market framing reflected this stance, stating that “Russia insists on Moscow as the venue,” which “limits its practical effect.”

Beyond the venue dispute, the sources describe multiple diplomatic threads running in parallel, including Turkey’s engagement with NATO and European leaders and Ukraine’s stated openness to different negotiation formats.

Al Jazeera said Erdogan told Rutte that Ankara expected European NATO allies to take more responsibility for transatlantic security, and it reported Erdogan’s phone call with German Chancellor Frank-Walter Steinmeier about Ankara’s efforts for lasting peace.

Devdiscourse

The New Arab similarly reported Erdogan’s message to NATO’s Mark Rutte that Turkey is “engaged” in bringing back Russia and Ukraine to the negotiation table for peace talks, and it quoted the Turkish presidency readout that “Erdogan said we were engaged, as Turkey, for the Ukraine-Russia war to end with peace.”

It also said Erdogan told the German leader that the US-Iran war was “starting to weaken Europe,” and that damage would increase if world powers failed to intervene with “peace-oriented approaches.”

On Ukraine’s side, the Kyiv Post reported Sybiha said Ukraine was ready to participate in any round of talks “regardless of format,” including meetings involving Zelensky, Putin, Erdogan, or US President Donald Trump.

The Kyiv Post also said Sybiha told the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on Friday that Ukraine would accept an unconditional ceasefire but reject any peace settlement that undermined its territorial integrity, including any requirement to withdraw from Donbas.

Meanwhile, Al Jazeera’s account of Peskov’s position emphasized that Putin would meet only to finalise agreements, with the Kremlin spokesman saying “The main thing is the goal of this meeting.”

The sources also frame the stakes of the diplomatic push as both political and practical, with uncertainty about whether talks can proceed under competing conditions.

“Trending: West Asia war updates US-Iran ceasefire Pahalgam terror attack IPL steals India heatwave Namita Thapar row advertisement Ukraine seeks Turkey-hosted Zelenskyy–Putin talks as peace efforts stall FP News Desk _•_ April 22, 2026, 19:41:57 IST advertisement Ukraine has asked Turkey to host a meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, its top diplomat said, as Kyiv seeks to reinvigorate stalling peace talks”

Firstpost

Al Jazeera reported that Ukraine asked Turkey to host a leaders’ level meeting with Russia, while Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin would be ready to meet only for finalising agreements, and that “The main thing is that there should be a reason to meet.”

Internazionale

The Jerusalem Post added that Sybiha did not say how Ankara had responded to the proposal, and it reiterated that Ukraine would consider any place other than Belarus or Russia.

The Firstpost report described Kyiv’s approach as seeking Turkey-hosted Zelenskyy–Putin talks as peace efforts stall, and it said Sybiha did not say how Ankara had responded to the proposal.

The Crypto Briefing described market reaction as skeptical, stating that “The market reaction is skeptical” and that “Russia’s preference for Moscow-hosted meetings keeps odds low.”

It also reported a specific Polymarket odds figure, saying “The Polymarket odds of a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire by May 31, 2026, have moved up slightly,” and it gave trading volume “$891 in USDC over 24 hours” and noted that “moving the market 5 points would require around $1,958.”

Actu.fr and Le Monde describe a different Turkey-hosted negotiation timeline, with Actu.fr saying talks are planned for Friday, May 16, 2025, and Le Monde reporting that potential peace talks in Istanbul will be held without Putin.