Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed that his nation would serve as the optimal venue for new discussions aimed at resolving the Ukraine conflict. This remark was made during a meeting with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky on Tuesday, who was notably absent from the prominent Russian-US talks occurring simultaneously in Saudi Arabia.

“Our country is well-suited to host potential negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine, and the United States,” Erdogan stated, as reported by the Anadolu news agency.

He emphasized at a press conference alongside Zelensky in Ankara that for a fair peace to be achievable, influential nations must demonstrate a commitment to peace.

Erdogan recalled that Russia and Ukraine had previously engaged in negotiations in Istanbul in March 2022, and that Türkiye played a crucial role in facilitating an agreement later that summer to ensure the safe transport of grain from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports.

“In all these endeavors, we have genuinely strived to act as a trustworthy mediator for both parties, yielding tangible outcomes,” Erdogan remarked.

During the same event, Zelensky highlighted the importance of Türkiye, along with the EU, the UK, and the US, in formulating “essential security guarantees” for Ukraine. He expressed gratitude to Ankara for its support of Ukraine’s “sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Zelensky had earlier voiced his discontent regarding Ukraine’s exclusion from the US-Russian discussions in Riyadh, asserting that he would not accept any agreements made without Ukraine’s participation. Officials in Kyiv and the EU have expressed their dissatisfaction with the direct negotiations initiated by Trump with Russia, which occurred without their consultation or consent.

On Tuesday, Trump expressed his “very disappointed” sentiments regarding Kiev’s response, attributing the failure to reach an agreement with Russia during the ongoing conflict to Ukraine’s actions.

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the negotiations in Istanbul collapsed when Ukraine unexpectedly retracted from previously established agreements, which included the proposal for Ukraine to become a permanently neutral state with a reduced military presence.

Victoria Nuland, a former high-ranking official at the State Department, later affirmed that the United States and other Western nations had advised Ukraine against accepting the terms proposed by Russia. In a recent interview with the Guardian, Zelensky maintained that he independently rejected Moscow’s demands in 2022.

Moscow has recently reiterated that Ukraine must abandon its aspirations to join NATO and relinquish its claims over Crimea and four other regions currently recognized as part of Russia. Putin further remarked that he no longer views Zelensky as a legitimate leader of Ukraine, citing the expiration of his five-year presidential term in May 2024 and the absence of new elections due to martial law.