Türkiye is ready to host a summit between Ukraine and Russia to end the war, President RecepTayyip Erdoğan said on Friday after talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Istanbul.
In a meeting lasting about an hour, Erdoğan and Zelenskiy discussed developments in the Ukraine-Russia war, shipping security in the Black Sea including the defunct grain deal, and defence industry cooperation, according to the two sides.
NATO member Türkiye supports Ukraine's territorial integrity, but also maintains cordial relations with Russia, and regularly speaks with both sides in the conflict, notably as a sponsor of the Black Sea deal that lifted a de facto Russian blockade of Ukrainian grain exports.
"We discussed developments about the war in detail today, I stated our observations with all my sincerity," Erdoğan said at a press conference alongside Zelenskiy, whose trip comes before an expected visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin following elections in Russia on March 15-17.
"We are giving our utmost contribution for the war to end on the basis of negotiations. We are ready to host a peace summit that Russia will attend too," he said, adding he had reiterated Ankara's support for Ukraine's sovereignty.