Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha on Wednesday in Türkiye’s city of Antalya before the upcoming Russia-Ukraine peace talks scheduled in Istanbul.
According to a report by Türkiye’s state-run Anadolu Agency, Fidan told Sybiha that Türkiye is ready to provide all kinds of support, including holding talks, to help achieve peace.
After the meeting, Sybiha wrote on the social media platform X that he and Fidan thoroughly discussed ways to advance a “meaningful peace process.”
“I reaffirmed Ukraine’s commitment to peace, our immediate and unconditional readiness for a full and durable ceasefire, as well as our offer of the highest-level direct meeting between Ukraine and Russia,” he wrote.
On Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed resuming direct negotiations with Ukraine on May 15 in Istanbul. That same day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated he would be prepared to meet with Putin in Istanbul.
Earlier on Wednesday, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said that the Russian delegation would address political and technical issues at the upcoming talks, and the topics on the agenda will guide the selection of the delegation. ■
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (R) shakes hands with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha during their meeting in Antalya, Türkiye, on May 14, 2025. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha on Wednesday in Antalya before the upcoming Russia-Ukraine peace talks scheduled in Istanbul. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua)
