Erdogan plans to raise the Ukrainian question at a meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the NATO summit

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan intends to discuss with U.S. President Donald Trump the possibility of resuming peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine on Turkish soil.

This was reported by RIA Novosti citing a source in the Turkish government.

“President Erdogan may raise the issue of resuming the negotiation process on Ukraine in Turkey during talks with President Trump,” the source told the agency.

The source clarified that “this topic is among the possible items on the meeting’s agenda.”

A meeting between the two leaders is expected on the sidelines of the NATO summit, which will be held in Ankara on July 7–8. European members of the alliance are hoping to use the summit to restore relations with the American president.

Turkey has already signaled its readiness to serve as a venue for negotiations. The country’s foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, confirmed Turkey’s willingness to participate in resolving the conflict in Ukraine during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declined in June to meet with Putin in Moscow, stating that “Ukraine does not play these games.” At the same time, he said he was open to talks in any neutral country, naming Switzerland, Turkey, or one of the Middle Eastern countries as possible options.

Trump previously stated that peace in Ukraine was coming soon.