Turkey is open to providing security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a final deal with Russia to end the war, the Turkish foreign minister said on Monday during a press briefing with his Russian counterpart.
Hakan Fidan said that Turkey, as a matter of principle, is ready to take any step that could contribute to peace as the Russia-Ukraine war marks its third anniversary this week. However, he added that Ankara needs to see how the talks evolve before making a final commitment.
“After we make the necessary technical preparations on this matter, [President Recep Tayyip Erdogan] will make the necessary decision,” he said. “But for now, we are closely following the discussions and meetings.”
Fidan also revealed that Ankara supports US President Donald Trump’s new peace initiative to hold direct talks with the Russian leadership, which excluded Ukraine during the first round last week in Riyadh.
The Turkish foreign minister said Ankara views the American initiative as having a “result-oriented” approach and believes that a solution can only be reached through negotiations in which both sides participate.
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“We are ready to provide all kinds of support for the establishment of peace through dialogue,” he said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, on the other hand, claimed that Ukraine refused to sign a draft peace deal in Istanbul in March 2022 following pressure from the UK and other western allies. He added that the deal had also included security guarantees from the UN Security Council members, Germany and Turkey.
“It was outlined how this would work. In fact, the Ukrainian side itself formulated these guarantees,” Lavrov said. “But the West prohibited this.”
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According to a draft of the peace treaty, Russia at the time did not agree to Turkey being a guarantor.
Lavrov’s remarks on Monday indicate however that Moscow is open to Ankara being one of the security guarantors.
Despite concerns in European capitals over Trump’s aggressive stance towards Ukraine and its president, Volodymyr Zelensky, Turkish officials believe the negotiations could ultimately lead to serious discussions. Ankara has long advocated for direct talks involving all parties.
Trump’s comments have prompted some European leaders to reconsider their relationship with Washington. Earlier this month, French President Emmanuel Macron convened a European summit to discuss the crisis – excluding Ankara.
Since the beginning of the war, Turkey has maintained a delicate balance between the two sides, refusing to join international sanctions while allowing Russian visitors to travel to the country. Bilateral trade has largely continued, despite some financial transaction difficulties because of western sanctions.
