UPDATE - Türkiye seeks to host Russia, Ukraine, US leaders in next possible round of peace talks: Foreign minister

UPDATES WITH MORE REMARKS BY TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER; ADDS BACKGROUND; CHANGES HEADLINE, LEDE, DECK

By Esra Tekin and Beril Canakci

ISTANBUL (AA) - Türkiye hopes to host Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with attendance of US President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the next possible round of peace negotiations, said Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Friday.

“We believe that the first and second talks held in Istanbul could potentially be crowned by a meeting hosted by President Erdogan, bringing together President Trump, President Putin, and President Zelenskyy,” Fidan said in a joint news conference with his Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Sybiha.

Peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv held in Istanbul on May 16 have added a “new dimension” to the search for a diplomatic solution, Fidan also said.

On May 16, Russia and Ukraine held their first direct talks in three years in the Turkish metropolis, where the two sides notably agreed to a large-scale exchange of prisoners involving a total of 1,000 people from each side.​​​​​​​

Both sides, during the talks facilitated by Türkiye, also agreed to continue negotiations for a truce.

Emphasizing the completion of the exchange agreement between Russia and Ukraine reached in Istanbul showed that the peace talks can yield concrete results, Fidan said, expressing Ankara’s desire to maintain the momentum achieved in Istanbul.

Referring to "critical crossroads" in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and pointing to the May 16 Istanbul peace talks, Fidan said that there are two paths ahead.

“Either we'll tolerate the continuation of this (Moscow-Kyiv) war or we will reach lasting peace within this year,” he noted, stressing Ankara’s desire to reach a “just and lasting peace” via dialogue and to end the war.

The Ukraine war has raised certain questions about the European security architecture, Fidan said, adding that Trump's taking office in January brought a new equation causing uncertainties in Europe-US relations.

"But as Türkiye, we have always maintained the following focus: the cities destroyed in the war are Ukrainian cities; the people who have died are Ukrainian soldiers. Therefore, we need to stop the devastating impact caused by this war as soon as possible” he said.