Speaking at a press conference following the informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Antalya on May 15, Fidan said there was cause for hope ahead of prospective talks between the two warring nations.
“If the parties‘ positions are harmonized and trust is established, a very important step towards peace will have been taken. We have enough reasons to be hopeful,” Fidan said.
But he also urged Russia and Ukraine to compromise for peace and stability in the region.
The first meeting between Russian and Ukrainian officials took place four days after the invasion began, on 28 February 2022, in Belarus, and concluded without result. Later rounds of talks took place in March 2022 on the Belarus–Ukraine border and in Antalya, Turkey. Negotiations in Turkey created an agreement in which Ukraine would abandon plans to join NATO and have limits placed on its military, while having security guarantees from Western countries, and not being required to recognize Russia‘s annexation of Crimea. The draft treaty was almost agreed to, but disagreements over security guarantees and the Bucha massacre ultimately halted negotiations.
While Zelensky has insisted he would only speak with Putin directly, the Russian president has so far given no indication that he is planning to travel to Türkiye.
Moscow and Ukraine last held direct talks in April 2022, also in Istanbul. Following reports that an agreement had been reached, Kiev unilaterally withdrew from the talks. President Putin later blamed Western interference and, in particular, then-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who had reportedly urged Kiev to “just continue fighting,” for derailing the peace process.
„I have decided to send our delegation to Istanbul now, but not everyone … The delegation will be headed by the Minister of Defense,“ Zelenskyy said at a press conference in Ankara on Thursday.