Turkish, French presidents discuss Ukraine war, bilateral ties in phone call

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a phone call with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron to discuss bilateral relations as well as global and regional developments, Türkiye's Communications Directorate said on Sunday.

During the call, Erdogan said a “historic turning point” has been reached in efforts to end the war between Russia and Ukraine and stressed the importance of seizing the opportunity to secure peace, according to a statement by the directorate.

“Türkiye is ready to contribute in any way, including hosting negotiations, to help establish a ceasefire and permanent peace,” he said.

Erdogan also stressed the significance of continued cooperation with France in initiating long-term peace talks and supporting Ukraine's postwar reconstruction process.

The phone conversation followed an overnight news conference in Moscow, where Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed resuming direct peace negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv in the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul starting Thursday.

Putin further said he had talks scheduled with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan "tomorrow" to ask him to greenlight holding negotiations in the country.

Erdogan, a longtime champion of resolving the conflict, has repeatedly offered for Türkiye to host peace talks and do whatever it can to promote a resolution. Türkiye has the distinction of enjoying good relations with both Russia and Ukraine.

In response to the proposal, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X that Kyiv is ready to hold direct talks with Russia once Moscow confirms a “full, lasting, and reliable” ceasefire in his country starting on Monday.