Istanbul poised to host Russian, Ukrainian, US teams for peace talks
ANTALYA

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan talks to journalists as he visits the media centre on the sidelines of an informal meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs, at the NEST Convention Center in Antalya on May 14, 2025.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has expressed his hopes for launching direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations with the participation of representatives from the Trump administration for the cessation of the armed conflict and starting a comprehensive process for peace.
“A very intense diplomacy is underway. Many sides are in contact with each other. There are talks planned for tomorrow in Istanbul. There will be delegations arriving, but the format is not yet certain,” Fidan told in a televised interview on May 14 in Antalya on the sidelines of the NATO informal meeting.
Fidan informed that the American and Russian delegations will be in Istanbul on May 15 and he is talking with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Shiba for the involvement of the Ukrainian delegation as well.
Ukraine President Volodymir Zelensky has announced that he will travel to Ankara to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and is ready to go to Istanbul should Russian President Vladimir Putin show up, too.
The Kremlin has not announced yet who will be in Istanbul but it is believed that Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin’s aide Yury Ushakov are likely to meet with the American delegation led by U.S. President Donald Trump’s senior envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg.
The Turkish foreign minister has recalled that both warring sides have voiced their intention to meet but they differ on the modalities concerning whether the ceasefire should be declared before the meetings or as a result of the meetings.
“For us, the strategic objective is the immediate declaration of ceasefire and launching talks for a substantial agreement,” he stated.
NATO ministers focus on Ukraine, burden sharing
Part of the intense diplomacy is taking place in Türkiye’s top touristic resort city of Antalya, as the venue of the NATO informal foreign ministers’ meeting.
“This is really an important meeting and the fact that it is happening in Antalya, Türkiye increases its significance,” he said, recalling that they will discuss the agenda of next month’s leaders’ summit.
“Another top issue is burden sharing. An issue President Trump has long been emphasizing during his first and current presidential terms,” the minister said.
Ending the war in Ukraine and Gaza will also be on the agenda, Fidan said.
According to the diplomatic sources, the meeting underscores the importance Türkiye is attaching to NATO and Euro-Atlantic security. Sources recalled that the meeting in Antalya will constitute very good preparation for the leaders’ summit to be held in The Hague next month.
They recalled that Türkiye will host next year’s NATO summit at the leaders’ level.
Sources also underlined that Fidan will press on NATO allies to lift all restrictions on arms sales and cooperation with the Turkish defense industry during the talks. Fidan will also hold bilateral meetings with colleagues from participant countries.