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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday discussed the European Union’s freezing of Russian assets during a high-level meeting in Ashgabat, with Erdogan reiterating Türkiye’s readiness to host peace talks to help end the ongoing Russia–Ukraine war.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the International Peace and Trust Forum in Turkmenistan’s capital, where Erdogan and Putin reviewed bilateral ties and ongoing diplomatic efforts surrounding the war. According to the Turkish Presidency’s Directorate of Communications, “all issues were discussed in detail, including the European Union’s freezing of Russian funds.”
While the statement did not elaborate further on the financial measures, the inclusion of the topic signals Ankara’s growing interest in broader international negotiations involving frozen assets and their potential role in future peace frameworks.
Erdogan also said Türkiye continues to closely follow peace initiatives and remains ready to host talks “in all formats.” He emphasized that efforts to end the war with a “just and lasting peace” are vital, and that concrete progress could be made in areas offering practical benefits for both sides.
He suggested a limited ceasefire focusing on energy infrastructure and port facilities as a confidence-building step, highlighting Türkiye’s active role as a mediator.
“Ankara is following the negotiation processes aimed at ending the war and is ready to host talks in all formats within this framework,” the statement quoted Erdogan as saying.
Meanwhile earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Russia welcomes Türkiye's desire to contribute to the Ukrainian conflict settlement.
During a press briefing in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan's capital, Peskov said Moscow welcomes Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's remarks on the conflict.
“The Turkish president spoke about Türkiye’s readiness and willingness to contribute to the peace process, which is welcomed by our country,” Peskov said.
Peskov noted that the Ukrainian issue was not formally addressed by Central Asian leaders at the forum and said Moscow had no information about possible meetings between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian or EU officials. Trump had earlier stated that U.S. representatives would attend Saturday’s meeting with European and Ukrainian delegations only “if there is a good chance for a deal.”
The Erdogan–Putin meeting also covered recent developments in Palestine and Syria, as well as the South Caucasus peace process, officials said.
In addition to his meeting with Putin, Erdogan also held one-on-one talks with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhammedov, and briefly exchanged greetings with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during a group photo session.
The diplomatic contacts were part of Erdogan’s participation in the International Peace and Trust Forum, held under the UN’s declaration of 2025 as the International Year of Peace and Trust, and to mark 30 years of Turkmenistan’s permanent neutrality.
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