Newsletters
Russia has expressed gratitude to Türkiye for providing Istanbul as a venue for negotiations with Ukraine and said the talks helped facilitate large-scale prisoner exchanges, according to statements from the Russian Foreign Ministry and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
The remarks were made during Lavrov’s press conference on the results of Russian diplomacy in 2025 and in written responses to media questions.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said Russia is grateful to Türkiye for hosting contacts between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul.
“We are grateful to our partners for providing the Istanbul venue for the Russian delegation’s contacts with the Ukrainian side,” the ministry said.
The ministry added that Russia and Türkiye are actively working to resolve several regional crises and maintain close dialogue on Syria, the Middle East and the Caucasus.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that talks held in Istanbul with Türkiye’s mediation led to the return of more than 2,300 Russian soldiers and over 170 Russian civilians since May last year.
He said approximately 2,400 Ukrainian soldiers and more than 170 Ukrainian civilians also returned home as part of the exchanges.
Lavrov noted that direct talks between Russia and Ukraine resumed in Istanbul in May 2025 on the initiative of Russian President Vladimir Putin, with three rounds held on May 16, June 2 and July 23.
He said Russia proposed a memorandum outlining steps toward a settlement, the creation of a bilateral center to monitor a ceasefire, and the establishment of working groups on military, political and humanitarian issues.
He added that only prisoner exchanges and the return of bodies produced tangible results.
Lavrov said Ukraine later announced that the Istanbul process had not delivered “concrete progress” and unilaterally suspended contacts with Moscow.
Lavrov said multifaceted cooperation between Russia and Türkiye continued to develop steadily in 2025 on the basis of mutual respect, good neighborliness and mutual benefit.
He noted that President Putin and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held seven phone calls last year and met in person twice, including at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tianjin and at an international forum in Ashgabat.
Lavrov also highlighted continued energy cooperation, including ongoing work at the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, where preparations are underway for the trial run of the first power unit.
He said the TurkStream and Blue Stream gas pipelines under the Black Sea are operating successfully and have become a significant factor in ensuring the energy security of Türkiye and several countries in Southeastern Europe.
Lavrov again thanked Türkiye for providing Istanbul as the venue for talks between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
