Sybiha: Erdoğan could lead Zelenskyy-Putin summit talks in Türkiye

By Yusuf İnan | Wise News Press

ANTALYA, TÜRKİYE — Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said talks in Abu Dhabi had made tangible progress and that Kyiv had asked President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to lead a Zelenskyy-Putin summit in Türkiye.

Speaking to CNN Türk during the COP31 Leaders’ Summit in Antalya, Sybiha said Türkiye could host a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin while also facilitating negotiations for a ceasefire in the Black Sea.

His remarks indicated that Ukraine expects Türkiye to assume more than a hosting role. Kyiv is also seeking Ankara’s assistance in preparing the diplomatic framework for a leaders’ summit and advancing practical measures to reduce tensions.

Progress reported in Abu Dhabi talks

Asked about the status of diplomatic contacts in Abu Dhabi, Sybiha confirmed that progress had been made and described the talks as encouraging for future diplomatic developments.

“I can confirm that some tangible progress has been achieved.”

Sybiha said Ukraine was seeking to use every available opportunity to end the war and accelerate international peace efforts. He identified de-escalation as Kyiv’s central message at the current stage of negotiations.

The foreign minister did not specify the issues on which the parties had moved closer or whether a written framework had been prepared. He also did not announce an immediate ceasefire or a timetable for a broader agreement.

His comments therefore point to renewed diplomatic movement but do not mean that Russia and Ukraine have reached a ceasefire or comprehensive peace settlement.

Sybiha said Ukraine remained open to workable diplomatic solutions and different forms of de-escalation, provided that any arrangement contributed to a just and lasting end to the war.

Call for a Zelenskyy-Putin summit

Sybiha said the diplomatic process ultimately required a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin at the leadership level.

Before such a summit could take place, he said, the parties would need to negotiate its agenda and identify the potential outcomes. This would help prevent the meeting from becoming a largely symbolic encounter without concrete results.

A prepared summit could address measures to reduce military tensions, limits on reciprocal attacks, ceasefire conditions and a possible political timetable for wider peace negotiations.

The venue, security arrangements, level of representation and expected outcome would have to be agreed in advance. Türkiye has emerged as a possible host because it maintains diplomatic channels with both Kyiv and Moscow.

No date has been announced for a Zelenskyy-Putin meeting, and neither Türkiye nor Russia has confirmed that preparations for such a summit have formally begun.

Erdoğan asked to lead the initiative

Sybiha said Ukraine had raised the proposed Turkish role during Zelenskyy’s recent visit to Türkiye and his talks with Erdoğan.

According to the foreign minister, Kyiv asked Erdoğan to lead efforts to arrange a Zelenskyy-Putin summit in Türkiye. Ukraine also requested Turkish assistance in facilitating negotiations for a ceasefire in the Black Sea.

“This is exactly where Türkiye can play a vital role.”

Sybiha said Ukraine had placed concrete and sustainable proposals on the table and was now awaiting feedback and a response from the Russian side.

The request suggests that Kyiv sees Erdoğan not only as a potential host but also as a political facilitator capable of communicating directly with both leaders.

Under such a framework, Türkiye could help maintain contacts between the negotiating teams, prepare the summit agenda and explore confidence-building measures before the two presidents meet.

Türkiye has not announced a formal timetable or confirmed that a new summit process has started.

Black Sea ceasefire could be the first step

A halt to reciprocal attacks in the Black Sea could provide a limited and measurable confidence-building step before negotiations on a comprehensive settlement.

A possible arrangement could include protections for commercial vessels, limits on strikes against ports, safeguards for maritime transport and commitments not to target coastal infrastructure.

Türkiye is a NATO member on the Black Sea and remains one of the few countries able to maintain working diplomatic relations with both Ukraine and Russia.

Ankara’s previous involvement in the Black Sea grain initiative, prisoner exchanges and negotiations between the two sides has also given it experience in facilitating agreements with defined and verifiable objectives.

Sybiha’s remarks suggest that Kyiv sees a Black Sea ceasefire as a possible entry point for a wider de-escalation process. The proposal, however, cannot advance without a formal response from Moscow.

The parties would also need to establish monitoring procedures and a mechanism for addressing alleged violations if an agreement were reached.

Türkiye presented as a suitable diplomatic platform

Sybiha said the COP31 Leaders’ Summit demonstrated Türkiye’s ability to organize large international meetings and bring senior officials together.

The Ukrainian foreign minister previously served as his country’s ambassador to Türkiye and said he was familiar with the country’s diplomatic capacity and hospitality.

He described Türkiye as an appropriate platform for critical international meetings because of its global influence and ability to communicate with different parties.

During his visit to Antalya, Sybiha also met Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Their discussions covered the Türkiye-Ukraine strategic partnership, Black Sea security and ongoing peace efforts.

Sybiha said Ukraine counted on Türkiye’s continued active engagement in efforts to secure a just and lasting peace.

COP31, while primarily focused on climate policy, has consequently become a setting for bilateral meetings and diplomatic discussions concerning security, trade, energy and the war in Ukraine.

Moscow’s response will determine the next step

The next phase of the initiative will depend on Russia’s response to the proposals Sybiha said Ukraine had placed on the negotiating table.

If Moscow agrees to participate in a leaders’ summit, the parties would first need to settle the meeting’s agenda, venue, security arrangements and expected deliverables.

Ankara would then be expected to intensify contacts with Kyiv, Moscow and other international actors involved in the peace process.

The leaders could initially focus on limited measures that can be implemented and monitored, including a Black Sea ceasefire or restrictions on attacks against specific categories of infrastructure.

A successful preliminary agreement could create the conditions for negotiations on more difficult political and territorial questions. Failure to agree on a prepared agenda, however, could delay or prevent a leaders’ summit.

Sybiha’s message from Antalya placed Türkiye at the centre of Ukraine’s preferred diplomatic framework following the reported progress in Abu Dhabi. The first test will be whether Russia accepts discussions on a Black Sea arrangement and a possible meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin.

WiseNewsPress.com