Turkey returns Russia, Ukraine to table, summit held

The meeting has started at 1: 00 p.m. with local time, under the direction of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

In this important meeting, which is expected to keep alive the spirit of dialogue between the two countries in conflict, the head of the National Turkish Intelligence Organisation (MIT), ♫brahim Kalın, will also attend.

The Russian delegation will be represented by senior figures as adviser to President Vladimir Putin, Vladimir Medinsky, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, Deputy Defence Minister Alexandr Fomin and Chief of the Chief Directorate of General Staff Igor Costyukov.

On the other hand, the Ukrainian delegation will include Defence Minister Rusem Umerov, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsia, Ukrainian Security Service deputy chief (SBU), Oleksandr Pollod and Deputy Chief of the Foreign Intelligence Service, Oleh Luhovsky.

Turkey restored diplomatic confrontation between the two sides for the first time in three years. Following the first efforts in Antalya and Istanbul in 2022, following the outbreak of war in Ukraine, the last meeting took place on May 16th 2025 at the Dolmabahce Presidency Office in Istanbul.

The concrete result of those negotiations was an agreement for a massive exchange of prisoners, 1,000 people on each side. This exchange was completed on May 25th, and the parties have pledged to continue negotiations on a possible ceasefire and peaceful breakthrough from the conflict.

Ankara's active involvement and the return of the dialogue table in Istanbul underscores the importance of the role Turkey has taken as mediator in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, exploiting its diplomatic relations with both sides. /Periscope/