Talks at leadership level between Ukraine and Russia will benefit peace process: Turkish president

By Serdar Dincel

ISTANBUL (AA) - Holding talks at the leadership level between Ukraine and Russia after negotiations between delegations will benefit peace process, the Turkish president told his Ukrainian counterpart over phone on Friday, stressing that this should happen without much delay.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy also discussed bilateral ties and regional and global issues, according to Türkiye's Communications Directorate.

He said discussing a possible ceasefire in the second round of Russia-Ukraine talks planned to be held in Istanbul will pave way for peace.

He highlighted the importance of participation in the talks with high-level delegations for the continuation of the momentum built for peace.

Stressing that Ankara is in favor of continuing the talks between the two delegations that started in Istanbul in early May, the Turkish president expressed satisfaction that prisoner exchange agreed upon during the talks was realized in a short time.

Türkiye will continue its efforts to ensure a just and lasting peace between Kyiv and Moscow, Erdogan added.

The previous round of talks between Ukraine and Russia took place on May 16 in Istanbul and concluded with a decision on prisoner exchange—1,000 detainees from each side—and the agreement to prepare memorandums for further negotiations.

Moscow and Kyiv have both expressed satisfaction with the May meeting, raising hopes that the June round may yield further progress toward a ceasefire.