Russia has voiced its support for Turkey hosting another round of peace negotiations with Ukraine following a previous meeting earlier this month, which failed to yield any substantial progress amid US-led efforts to halt the ongoing war, now in 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 discussions in Moscow with his Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan.
The initial direct talks between Russia and Ukraine, held earlier in Istanbul, ended without agreement after Moscow declined a US-backed proposal for a 30-day ceasefire. Instead, Russia reiterated its longstanding hardline demands aimed at ending its prolonged invasion of Ukraine, which began in 2022.
Proposals by European nations and the US to hold peace negotiations at the Vatican, an initiative supported by Pope Leo XIV, were also rejected by Russia
Fidan additionally met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Lavrov late on Monday, according to Kremlin statements.
Meanwhile, Russia continues to prepare a draft memorandum for a possible peace agreement with Ukraine, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said
