Türkiye's Fidan meets Zelenskyy in Kyiv to revive peace talks

Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Thursday to discuss reviving stalled peace negotiations, calling for Istanbul-mediated talks between Moscow and Kyiv to continue despite the ongoing war.

Istanbul talks revival

Speaking at a joint news conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Fidan said that maintaining the Istanbul framework would yield significant benefits for resolving the nearly three-year conflict. "I believe it would be very beneficial for Türkiye-mediated Istanbul talks on the Russia-Ukraine war to continue under the same framework," he said, noting that Ankara is actively exploring new strategic approaches to overcome the current impasse.

The Turkish diplomat emphasized that hostilities should not preclude diplomatic engagement, stating that dialogue must persist uninterrupted to achieve tangible outcomes. "The fact that the war is continuing does not mean negotiations in this format cannot continue," Fidan said, adding that Washington had subsequently engaged with negotiators following earlier Istanbul sessions to assess potential pathways toward a settlement.

Strategic diplomacy

Fidan's visit to the Ukrainian capital forms part of broader efforts to strengthen bilateral relations and enhance regional security cooperation between the two Black Sea neighbors. Turkish diplomatic sources confirmed the meeting with Zelenskyy took place Thursday, though officials did not disclose specific discussion details. US negotiators became involved after the Istanbul talks to determine what could be done to achieve a more final and tangible outcome, according to previous statements by the minister.