Erdogan expresses pleasure in hosting Putin, Zelensky when they are ready

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed his pleasure at hosting Russian President Vladimir Putin and Vladimir Zelensky for negotiations if they were ready.

The Turkish Presidency issued a statement on the meeting between President Erdoğan and Vladimir Zelenskyy in Ankara. It read, "The two leaders discussed bilateral and regional issues, particularly efforts to end the war between Russia and Ukraine." During the meeting, Erdoğan emphasized that "the course of the war between Moscow and Kyiv currently requires a solution through direct negotiations and an agreement on the minimum common denominator to prevent further loss of life."

He added that there is a historic opportunity that must be seized to initiate negotiations, affirming his strong support for talks at the technical and leadership levels.

Erdogan stressed that Türkiye attaches great importance to keeping channels of dialogue open between Russia and Ukraine, adding, "We would be happy to host the leaders of Russia and Ukraine in Türkiye when they are ready."