Russia and Ukraine may reach a compromise on talks in coming days, says Fidan

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has expressed optimism that the parties to the conflict in Ukraine may come together in the coming days.

“I believe that in the coming days, the parties will come together to find a compromise. As you know, the Ukrainian side is currently stating that a ceasefire must come first, followed by negotiations. The Russian side is saying the opposite—first negotiations, then a ceasefire… This is a normal process. We want the parties to unite and establish a ceasefire. We hope that will happen. We are working in that direction,” Fidan said at a press conference in Ankara.

He noted that Turkey is ready to contribute in any way to resolving the conflict in Ukraine, particularly by serving as a mediator and host for negotiations.

On May 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed domestic and international media, proposing that Ukraine resume direct negotiations without preconditions in Istanbul on May 15. That same day, U.S. President Donald Trump urged Ukrainian authorities to “immediately” accept the Russian president’s offer to hold talks in Turkey. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in turn, stated that he would wait for Putin in Turkey on Thursday.