Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin can meet with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in Istanbul, where three rounds of direct Russian-Ukrainian talks have been held.
“Zelensky and Putin can hold a meeting in Istanbul. Why not?“, Yilmaz said on the air of the Habertürk TV channel, recalling Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's efforts to resolve the Ukrainian conflict.
“He is a leader who enjoys the trust of both sides. Concrete results have been achieved on the Black Sea grain initiative, the prisoner exchange. "Turkey is always an alternative for resolving the conflict," Yilmaz noted.
Erdogan has previously repeatedly stated his readiness to facilitate the peace process in Ukraine, including organizing possible talks at the leadership level that Turkey could host on its territory.
On August 22, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that no meeting between the Russian president and Zelensky was planned.