ISTANBUL, July 28. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan once again expressed his country’s readiness to host a meeting of leaders on Ukraine. He also voiced hope for achieving a peaceful agreement that would bring an end to the Ukrainian conflict at the negotiating table in Turkey.
“We believe this war must come to an end. We are always ready to host a leaders’ meeting here. Just as the negotiation table [on Ukraine] was set in Istanbul, in the near future, a table for peace will also be set in Turkey, which will bring an end to this bloody war,” Erdogan said in a national address following a cabinet meeting. The broadcast was carried by TRT Haber TV.
On July 23, the third round of direct Russia-Ukraine talks on the Ukrainian settlement took place in Istanbul. Before the full delegation meeting, heads of the delegations, Vladimir Medinsky and Rustem Umerov, had a one-on-one conversation. The full talks lasted about 40 minutes, during which the parties discussed positions outlined in draft memorandums.
As a result of the meeting, the parties agreed on exchanges not only of military personnel but also of civilians. Russia proposed that Ukraine establish three online working groups to address political, military, and humanitarian issues. Additionally, Moscow suggested sending another 3,000 Ukrainian servicemen’s bodies to Ukraine and returning to brief humanitarian pauses along the front line for the collection of the wounded and the bodies of the deceased.
