Ankara, May 11, 2025 — The Europe Today: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday, expressing support for reviving the Russia–Ukraine peace talks from where they left off in Istanbul in 2022, according to a statement by the Turkish Communications Directorate.
During the call, President Erdoğan welcomed President Putin’s recent remarks supporting the resumption of negotiations and reiterated Türkiye’s readiness to host renewed talks aimed at achieving a lasting peace in the region.
“A window of opportunity has opened to achieve peace,” Erdoğan stated, adding that a comprehensive ceasefire would be essential to establishing a conducive environment for productive negotiations. He reaffirmed Ankara’s commitment to facilitating a diplomatic path toward resolving the ongoing conflict.
The discussion between the two leaders also covered bilateral relations, as well as regional and international developments. Both Erdoğan and Putin expressed mutual interest in further strengthening trade and investment ties, including the continuation of joint energy projects.
A separate statement from the Kremlin confirmed that Türkiye had pledged to offer all possible assistance in organizing and hosting the proposed talks. The call follows a press conference in Moscow, where President Putin announced Russia’s willingness to resume direct negotiations with Kyiv in Istanbul starting Thursday, pending approval from Türkiye.
Putin also noted that he would speak with Erdoğan to seek Türkiye’s support for the initiative.
In a related development, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on X that Ukraine is prepared to engage in direct talks with Russia, contingent upon Moscow agreeing to a “full, lasting, and reliable” ceasefire beginning Monday.
