Turkish FM sees 'meaningful progress' after Ukraine-Russia talks

By Iclal Turan and Handan Kazanci

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Turkish foreign minister hailed the latest round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul, saying Tuesday's meeting achieved "the most meaningful progress since the start of negotiations."

Speaking at a press conference, Mevlut Cavusoglu said he was pleased to see increasing "rapprochement" between the two sides at "every stage."

On the peace talks being held in the Turkish metropolis, Cavusoglu said: "It is an indication of the trust of the parties in Turkiye."

He added that "the top priority is to achieve a cease-fire as soon as possible and pave the way for a permanent political solution."

Russia sent troops into Ukraine in what it called a “special military operation” on Feb. 24. The war has met international outrage and Western countries have implemented tough financial sanctions on Moscow.​​​​​​​

Turkiye has won widespread praise for its efforts to end the war, helped by its unique position in having friendly relations with both Russia and Ukraine.

On March 10, it hosted the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers in the southern resort city of Antalya, the highest-level meeting of the two sides since the war began.

The fresh round of talks lasted for three hours, and Russian and Ukrainian negotiators later held separate press briefings to inform the world about the outcome.

While Ukraine has called for eight countries, including Turkiye, to be guarantors in a possible future peace deal; Russia has announced it will significantly decrease military activities in the direction of Ukrainian cities of Kyiv and Chernihiv to increase trust for future negotiations.​​​​​​​