ISTANBUL

The Turkish metropolis of Istanbul once again became the stage for high-stakes diplomacy, with peace talks underway between Russia and Ukraine in a renewed bid to end the war.

On Friday, a flurry of meetings is expected in Istanbul involving delegations from Russia, Ukraine, the United States and Türkiye, according to Turkish Foreign Ministry sources.

While trilateral talks are planned between the US, Ukraine and Türkiye as well as between Russia, Ukraine and Türkiye, it remains unclear whether a four-way meeting will take place.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is set to host US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky.

The negotiations — facilitated by Türkiye — mark the first attempt at direct talks between the warring sides since early 2022.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived early Thursday in Ankara for a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan before deciding on Kyiv’s participation in the talks.

Following the talks, Zelenskyy confirmed Ukraine’s participation, despite expressing concerns about the Russian delegation’s composition. He announced that Defense Minister Umerov would lead the Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul.

“Despite the rather low level of the Russian delegation, out of respect for (US) President (Donald) Trump, for the high-level Turkish delegation and President Erdogan, and wishing to attempt at least the first steps toward de-escalation and an end to the war, I decided to send our delegation to Istanbul — though not in full,” Zelenskyy said.

He praised Türkiye’s “multifaceted” role in diplomatic efforts and emphasized that Ukraine’s visit began with “a very meaningful conversation at the highest level.”

Meanwhile, the Russian delegation, led by presidential aide Medinsky, arrived at Istanbul’s Dolmabahce Palace, where the talks are based. Medinsky said his team has full authority to negotiate and sees the new round of talks as a continuation of the 2022 Istanbul process.

“The goal of direct negotiations with the Ukrainian side is to achieve long-term peace,” he said, calling for a constructive approach.

President Erdogan, in remarks following his meeting with Zelenskyy, reaffirmed Türkiye’s commitment to facilitating dialogue and said Ankara would be willing to host talks between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders when they are ready.

He described the moment as a historic opportunity for peace and stressed the urgency of reaching common ground to prevent further bloodshed.

After leaving the informal NATO foreign ministers meeting in the Turkish resort city Antalya, Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan met with the Russian delegation in Istanbul's Dolmabahce Palace. Shortly after, the Turkish Foreign Ministry announced Friday's expected meetings.

Meanwhile, President Trump, speaking from Abu Dhabi on the final stop of his Middle East tour, said he would “probably” return to Washington on Friday but left open the possibility of a surprise visit to Istanbul.

He had suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attendance was contingent on his own, saying: “Obviously, he wasn’t going to go. He was going to go, but he thought I was going to go. He wasn’t going if I wasn’t there. And I don’t believe anything is going to happen, whether you like it or not, until he and I get together. But we’re going to have to get it solved because too many people are dying.”

US Secretary of State Rubio also expressed limited optimism for the talks, saying Washington has “no high expectations.”