Moscow: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that Istanbul is being considered as a potential venue for the second round of direct negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv to address the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Lavrov made this statement during a joint news conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Moscow.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Turkish city previously hosted the first round of direct talks in three years on May 16, where both sides agreed to a large-scale prisoner exchange involving 1,000 individuals from each side and committed to continuing truce negotiations. The meeting between Lavrov and Fidan took place on the second day of Fidan's working visit to Moscow, during which he also held discussions with Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Fidan reiterated Turkey's readiness to facilitate the negotiations and conveyed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's support for the peace process.

The meeting also addressed the situation in Gaza and the West Bank, which Lavrov described as "unacceptable." Both ministers expressed concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with Fidan urging an end to the violence. He warned that ongoing conflict could lead to uncontrollable chaos in Israel and emphasized the importance of international efforts to address the humanitarian issues.

Additionally, Fidan highlighted the shared support of Turkey and Russia for Syria's sovereignty and unity, focusing on achieving stability and welfare in the region. He discussed recent developments aimed at establishing political and economic stability in Syria and noted the importance of unifying military groups under a national army. Fidan also welcomed the lifting of US and EU sanctions on Syria, attributing the success to diplomatic efforts led by Turkish President Erdogan.