Erdoğan stated that “Reactivating the Istanbul track within a more comprehensive framework to address pressing issues would be beneficial,” referring to the talks hosted by his country in earlier stages of the war.
Zelensky held talks with his Turkish counterpart amid indications of intensified diplomatic moves led by Washington, as the Ukrainian president is scheduled to meet with officials from the US military in Kyiv tomorrow, Thursday. These developments coincide with reports of US-Russian discussions on potential peace terms.
A senior Ukrainian official told Reuters that Kyiv had received “indications” regarding a set of American proposals to end the war, noting that his country is involved in formulating these proposals. These indications led to a significant rise in the prices of Ukrainian government bonds today, in the largest jump in months.
Despite ongoing efforts, no direct negotiations have been held between Moscow and Kyiv since the Istanbul round last July, while Russian forces continue their military operations for the fourth consecutive year, most recently with airstrikes last night that killed 25 people.
Efforts to revive the peace track are gaining new momentum, despite no apparent change in Moscow’s terms for ending the war. Zelensky recently visited Greece, France, and Spain, in a tour that continued despite the internal political crisis in Ukraine, following a corruption scandal that ousted the ministers of energy and justice.
Zelensky had affirmed that Ukraine’s top priority is to “expedite the end of the war and achieve a just peace,” as he said yesterday before heading to Turkey.
Russian forces control about 19% of Ukrainian territory, while continuing their ground advances and intensifying their attacks on energy infrastructure as winter approaches.
Turkey, a member of NATO that maintains balanced relations with both sides, has a history of mediation, having hosted an early round of peace talks in 2022, in addition to mediation efforts that began this year led by US President Donald Trump.
For its part, Moscow has affirmed that its representatives will not participate in direct negotiations with Kyiv at this stage, but indicated that Russian President Vladimir Putin is open to talks with the United States and Turkey about the outcomes of the war.
The “Axios” website mentioned that Washington is secretly coordinating with Russia to prepare a roadmap for ending the war. In the context, the US Embassy in Kyiv announced the arrival of a high-level military delegation headed by Army Minister Dan Driscol, with the participation of Chief of Staff General Randy George, who are scheduled to meet Zelensky tomorrow.
A Turkish source also reported that US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff may visit Turkey in the coming days, without official confirmation, while Turkish diplomatic sources stated that the Ankara meetings will be limited to Turkish officials meeting with Zelensky only.
