Moscow: Russia has expressed its preference for Turkey to host another round of peace talks with Ukraine, following an earlier meeting in Istanbul that failed to achieve meaningful progress. This development comes amid ongoing US-led diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine, now entering its fourth year.
“We are grateful for Turkey for its readiness to continue assisting with such negotiations and a peace settlement,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday after meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, in Moscow.
The initial direct talks between Russia and Ukraine, held earlier this month in Istanbul, concluded without an agreement. Moscow rejected a US-backed proposal for a 30-day ceasefire and instead reiterated its firm demands aimed at ending the conflict, which began with Russia’s invasion in 2022.
Proposals from European nations and the US to hold peace talks at the Vatican—supported by Pope Leo XIV—were also turned down by Russia.
Fidan met not only with Lavrov but also Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, according to official Kremlin statements.
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Meanwhile, Russia continues drafting a memorandum for a potential peace agreement with Ukraine, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed Tuesday, as reported by the Interfax news agency.
US President Donald Trump expressed frustration on Sunday over the stalled peace efforts, publicly criticizing Putin. Trump described Putin as “absolutely CRAZY!” and accused him of “needlessly killing a lot of people” through recent missile and drone attacks, while indicating that the US may consider imposing additional sanctions on Russia.
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Ukraine has reported a record number of Russian attacks overnight into Monday, marking three consecutive nights of heavy strikes using drones and cruise missiles across multiple regions. Kyiv confirmed these assaults caused civilian injuries and damage to critical infrastructure.
During Tuesday’s Moscow meeting, Lavrov and Fidan also discussed challenges in the construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant in southern Turkey. This is Turkey’s first nuclear facility, being built by Russia’s state nuclear company, Rosatom, but has faced ongoing delays.
