Zelenskyy and Erdoğan discuss Russia talks in Istanbul
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a phone conversation with President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The news was reported by Censor.NET, citing the Presidential Office.
"We discussed the first meeting in Istanbul. The prisoner exchange was one of its key outcomes — unfortunately, the only one. A ceasefire is necessary in order to move toward peace. The killings must be stopped.
We also talked about the potential for a second meeting in Istanbul and under what conditions Ukraine would be ready to participate. We share the view that this meeting must not be empty or symbolic. We also discussed the possibility of organizing a four-way summit involving the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, and the United States," Zelensky said.
The two presidents also discussed Turkey’s participation in the upcoming Ukraine – Southeast Europe summit.
According to the office of President Erdoğan, Turkey supports the continuation of negotiations between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations that began in Istanbul.
"Holding discussions on a potential ceasefire during the second round of talks, which is expected to take place in Istanbul, would be a step toward peace. The participation of high-level delegations from both countries is essential to maintaining momentum on the path to peace," the statement reads.
The Turkish president also expressed support for holding negotiations between the leaders of Ukraine and Russia following next Monday’s meeting, noting that such talks would contribute to the peace process and should be held without unnecessary delay.
