Diplomacy at Play: Turkish Efforts to Mediate Russia-Ukraine Talks

In a pivotal diplomatic push, Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Moscow to deliberate on strategies aimed at ending the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Discussions also encompassed important economic and energy issues alongside the peace initiatives.

The meeting follows a previous encounter in Istanbul, which marked a preliminary step towards dialogue between Russia and Ukraine, although no ceasefire was established. The parties did, however, agree on the exchange of 1,000 prisoners of war and outlined their respective conditions for a potential ceasefire.

Turkey, leveraging its position as a NATO ally with regional influence, reiterated its readiness to facilitate future discussions, proposing Istanbul and other locations as possible venues. Fidan is poised to continue his diplomatic efforts in Kyiv later this week to further nurture the peace process.

(With inputs from agencies.)