A second session later on Friday was expected to bring together delegations from Ukraine, Russia and Turkey, according to reports. Kyiv was expected to be represented by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, while the Russian delegation was set to be led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky.
Low-key start
Expectations for a breakthrough cooled after it became clear that Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump would stay away, even as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Turkey.
The Istanbul channel is the first face-to-face format including Russia since talks collapsed in 2022.
Ahead of the US–Ukraine–Turkey meeting, Kyiv’s team consulted in Istanbul with national security advisers from France, Germany and Britain, along with US special envoy Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, according to diplomats briefed on the gathering.
NATO member Turkey as mediator
Turkey has sought to revive its role as a mediator ever since brokering a now-defunct 2022 grain corridor deal. President Tayyip Erdogan offered to host ceasefire negotiations when Ankara backed Sweden’s NATO entry last year.
Fighting in Ukraine’s east has dragged into a fourth year, with front lines largely frozen but casualty rates high.
Ukraine says a US-backed 30-day ceasefire plan remains on the table; Russia insists any truce must address security guarantees and the status of annexed territories.
Turkish officials said a short communiqué may follow the Russia-Ukraine-Turkey session, but cautioned that substantive drafting of a ceasefire framework will require further meetings.
(jh/gs)
Source: PAP, Reuters