ISTANBUL

A Ukrainian delegation held on Wednesday talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, ahead of the third round of Ukraine-Russia peace negotiations in Istanbul.

Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian presidential office, said on X that the delegation conveyed greetings from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and thanked Türkiye for its enduring support.

“We expressed our gratitude to Türkiye and President Erdogan for their consistent political and security support for Ukraine throughout the full-scale war with Russia.”

The delegation was led by National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov, he added.

“We also appreciate Türkiye’s readiness to provide a platform for negotiations and to support diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace for Ukraine.”

The discussions covered “security situation, regional stability challenges, and the prospects for further defense cooperation,” according to Yermak, who described the meetings as “constructive.”

The Ukrainian officials also met Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Akif Cagatay Kilic, chief adviser to Erdogan.

“We are grateful to Türkiye and the Turkish people for their steadfast position ... we appreciate the opportunity to engage,” Yermak said.

He said they also talked about the importance of organizing a top-level meeting involving presidents Zelenskyy, Erdogan, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, as a step toward initiating meaningful peace talks to help bring the war to an end.

“The dynamics of the peace process matter deeply to us — because this is about real people, real children who were abducted by Russia and must all be brought back home,” he added.

Peace talks

The third round of renewed Russia-Ukraine peace talks facilitated by Türkiye is set to begin in Istanbul on Wednesday evening.

The trilateral meeting involving delegations from Türkiye, Russia, and Ukraine is scheduled to commence at around 7 p.m. local time (1600GMT) at the Ciragan Palace, according to Turkish diplomatic sources.

The meeting will be chaired by Fidan, and is expected to bring together senior officials from all three countries.

Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization chief Ibrahim Kalin and Chief of the Turkish General Staff Gen. Metin Gurak are also expected to attend.

The first two rounds were held on May 16 and June 2. In the talks, which also took place at the Ciragan Palace, both sides 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 memoranda outlining their vision to bring an end to the conflict that has continued since February 2022.

Russia's delegation will be led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, while Umerov will head Kyiv's delegation.