Any potential peace deal between Ukraine and Russia would be "difficult to digest" but still better than the alternative of more death and destruction, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told "Reuters".
Turkey, a NATO member, has maintained close relations with both Kiev and Moscow since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It has expressed support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and provided military aid, while opposing sanctions against Russia.
On the sidelines of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, Fidan said that Turkey supports the US initiative to end the war in Ukraine, but that it is not easy to achieve agreement.
The parties remain "a little far" from reaching an agreement, he noted.
Asked about potential security guarantees for Ukraine, Fidan said Europe could not provide sufficient guarantees on its own without U.S. support, but added that a deterrent was needed to prevent renewed fighting.
The prospect of an end to the war has also increased Turkey's role in regional security, making it a key potential partner in restructuring Europe's security architecture as European powers try to strengthen their own defenses and provide guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a peace deal.
Kiev has said Turkey would be an important security guarantor, and Ankara has indicated it would consider joining a peace initiative on the ground, although it said the details of such a mission were still unclear.
Turkey has repeatedly offered to host Russia and Ukraine for possible peace talks, having hosted initial talks in 2022
Asked about US President Donald Trump's policy changes on transatlantic security, Fidan noted that this could be an opportunity for Europe to be more independent after its "huge dependence" on the United States since the Cold War.
He also expressed hope that "Trump's problem-solving techniques" and his new administration would be able to find a solution to lift US sanctions on Turkey's defense industry over its acquisition of Russian S-400 defense systems in 2019.