Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said discussing a possible ceasefire in the second round of Russia-Ukraine talks planned to be held in Istanbul will pave way for peace, the Turkish presidency said.
In a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Erdogan emphasized Türkiye's continued efforts to help establish a just and lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia.
According to the Turkish leader, holding talks at the leadership level following inter-delegation meetings would contribute to the peace process and emphasized the importance of not delaying such discussions.
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 Moscow and Kiev, 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 and the agreement to prepare memorandums for further negotiations. The second round of talks between Russia and Ukraine is scheduled to be held in Istanbul on June 2.
