Immediately after the bloody war began in February 2022, Türkiye brought Russia and Ukraine together at the same table in Antalya and Istanbul in the same year, and in May 2025, it managed to bring the Russian and Ukrainian delegations together at the same table again in Istanbul after 3 years.

Delegations from Russia and Ukraine are gathered in Turkey for their second round of direct peace talks in just over two weeks, although expectations were low for any significant progress on ending th

The Ukrainian delegation led by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov was in Istanbul for the meeting, Heorhii Tykhyi, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, said in a message posted on the Ukrainian Embassy Whatsapp group.