The US aims to use the Istanbul Communiqué as a foundation for a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia; Lavrov visits Turkey.

The US President’s envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, stated that Washington is considering utilizing the Istanbul  Communiqué as a basis for concluding a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia. Trump’s envoy also believes that achieving peace will require “concessions from both sides.”

Simultaneously, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov flew to Turkey to discuss ending the war in Ukraine and Ankara’s potential role in this process with US representatives. Turkey is prepared to mediate again, as it did at the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion. In Turkey, Lavrov remarked that Russia will cease fighting in Ukraine only when it is satisfied with the outcome of peace talks.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed that his country is ready to engage in negotiations.

Conversely, President Zelenskyy reiterated that Ukraine, Europe, the US, and Russia must be at the negotiating table to put an end to the conflict.