Hakan Fidan speaks at third round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Wednesday that the ultimate goal of Russia-Ukraine talks is a ceasefire that will pave the way for peace.
Speaking at the Türkiye-Russia-Ukraine trilateral meeting in Istanbul as the Turkish metropolis hosts the third round of peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv, Fidan said Türkiye, as the facilitator for the talks, will continue to fulfill its role.
“We should end this bloody war as soon as possible,” he said, thanking Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for their willingness to engage in negotiations.
He also expressed gratitude to US President Donald Trump for supporting efforts to end the war, as well as to all other leaders who have contributed directly or indirectly to the process.
Highlighting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s leadership in a region marred by conflict for years, Fidan said Türkiye has made intensive efforts since the beginning to bring about peace between Russia and Ukraine.
Recalling that the first two rounds of talks had yielded significant results, he said they were pleased to see that the prisoner exchanges so far had been welcomed by the international community for their humanitarian impact.
"We consider the exchange of memorandums reflecting the parties' perspectives on a ceasefire and peace in the second round of talks a significant development," he said.
Fidan expressed hope that in this round of talks, the parties will engage in substantive and result-oriented consultations on the memorandums they exchanged earlier.
Stressed that Ankara is always ready to fulfill its responsibilities to advance the process, depending on the agreement reached by the parties, he noted that if a consensus on a ceasefire is reached, Türkiye has the necessary infrastructure in terms of the monitoring mechanism.
He added that Türkiye can also contribute to conducting prisoner exchanges based on a more structured methodology.
“On the occasion of the Istanbul talks, we have the opportunity to show the world that diplomacy and dialogue are more effective than conflict and weapons in ensuring peace,” Fidan said.
The first two rounds were held on May 16 and June 2 also in Istanbul. Both sides had agreed to exchange additional prisoners of war -- prioritizing the youngest and most severely wounded -- and to return the bodies of 6,000 soldiers from each side.
Moscow and Kyiv also exchanged memorandums outlining their visions to bring an end to the conflict, which has continued since February 2022.
Following the meeting late Wednesday, Vladimir Medinsky, the head of the Russian delegation, said Russia suggested forming three online working groups, each of them addressing different subject areas – political, humanitarian and military.
Moscow proposed exchanging not only military personnel but also civilians, including around 30 people that Ukraine captured in Russia's Kursk region last year.
