Istanbul: A meeting between Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and the Russian delegation at Istanbul's Dolmabahce Palace has ended, the Foreign Ministry said late Thursday. The ministry sources said a series of meetings in various formats is expected to be held on Friday amid Istanbul peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
According to Anadolu Agency, trilateral talks are planned between the US, Ukraine, and Trkiye, as well as between Russia, Ukraine, and Trkiye. It remains unclear whether a four-way meeting involving the US, Russia, Ukraine, and Trkiye will be held. The Russian delegation is led by Vladimir Medinsky, a presidential aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin. It also includes Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, Chief of the General Staff's Main Directorate Igor Kostyukov, Deputy Defense Minister Aleksandr Fomin, and other experts, according to Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli.
Earlier on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that he is sending a Ukrainian delegation to Istanbul to have direct negotiations with the Russian side. The Ukrainian president stated that Defense Minister Rustem Umerov will lead the Ukrainian delegation. Zelenskyy expressed respect for President Trump, the high-level Turkish delegation, and President Erdogan, and emphasized the importance of taking steps toward de-escalation and ending the war, even though the Russian delegation is of a rather low level.
Zelenskyy departed Trkiye after a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Presidential Complex in Ankara. His delegation will remain in Istanbul until Friday. Meanwhile, Vladimir Medinsky, the head of the Russian delegation, stated at a press conference in Istanbul that his team has full authority to discuss all necessary matters for resolving the conflict. Medinsky explained that the delegation was approved by a presidential decree and prepared during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He emphasized that the goal of direct negotiations with the Ukrainian side is to achieve long-term peace, urging a constructive approach to find common ground.