Ukraine has formally asked Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government in Turkey to host a direct meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, as Kyiv looks for new momentum in stalled negotiations to end the war. Officials believe a neutral venue could help revive diplomatic efforts and encourage meaningful dialogue between the two sides after years of intense fighting and political deadlock.
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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Kyiv raised the proposal with Ankara and several other international capitals while seeking a suitable location for high-level talks. He explained that Ukraine is willing to consider any host country except Russia or Belarus, arguing that both nations cannot provide the neutral ground required for productive peace negotiations.
Meanwhile, Kyiv’s reluctance to hold talks in Belarus reflects its close political and military alignment with Russia during the conflict. Belarus allowed Russian forces to use its territory during the large-scale invasion launched in 2022, which significantly deepened tensions between Kyiv and Minsk and made it unacceptable as a potential diplomatic venue.
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Sybiha noted that Ankara has not publicly responded yet, but Ukraine continues to push for international mediation that could facilitate direct leadership talks. At the same time, the Kremlin previously signalled it would host Zelenskyy in Moscow, although the Ukrainian president has repeatedly rejected travelling to Russia for negotiations.
In a separate diplomatic development, Sybiha revealed he had exchanged written messages with Anita Orbán, who is expected to become the next foreign minister of Hungary after the country’s newly elected government takes office. The communication signals Kyiv’s continued outreach to European leaders as it seeks wider diplomatic support for renewed peace initiatives.