Newsletters
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated on Monday that Ukraine has formally approached Türkiye to organize a summit-level meeting between Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and Russian President Putin on Turkish soil, potentially including President Erdogan and U.S. President Trump.
The foreign minister stated that Ukraine is ready for the meeting and that "the only problem is that Putin is hiding."
Sybiha was explicit in his Ukrinform interview about what Ukraine has asked of Türkiye and what is blocking progress.
"We have approached Türkiye to consider the possibility of organizing a meeting at the level of President Zelenskyy and Putin, with the possible participation of President Erdogan and Trump," he said.
"We are ready for this meeting. The only problem is that Putin is currently hiding. President Zelenskyy is also ready for such a meeting. We want to end this war. We have effective proposals. We hope for the role of Türkiye, which can accelerate and contribute to the peace process," Sybiha noted.
Sybiha, who previously served as Ukraine's ambassador to Türkiye, offered an unusually candid assessment of Turkish diplomatic capabilities.
"Türkiye has the possibility to achieve unparalleled and extremely important successes in diplomacy. I know how Turkish diplomacy works, both officially and behind the scenes. I greatly value it. They are very effective," he said.
He said Türkiye was uniquely positioned to play a role in accelerating peace: "Given Türkiye's role in the region and our country's growing role, I support building alliances with Türkiye. All of this allows us to launch new forms of cooperation, such as the Ukraine-Türkiye-Syria trilateral cooperation format, as in Syria."
1 min read
Sybiha also cited growing economic ties.
"Trade volume with Türkiye is increasing. In 2025, there was almost 40% growth compared to the previous year. I believe we have untapped potential that we need to develop further," he said.
He described the bilateral strategic foundation as robust: "Türkiye is a NATO country. Türkiye has one of the world's most powerful armies. Now Ukraine also has one of the world's most powerful armies, not just in Europe but globally. All of this creates genuine grounds for close cooperation."
He also expressed a strong interest in deepening the Ukraine-Türkiye relationship, specifically. "As a minister of a country at war, this forum was an opportunity for me to develop and establish new partnerships. I don't recall receiving so many bilateral meeting requests at a multilateral platform," he said.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
