Turkish foreign minister meets Ukrainian president in Kyiv

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Thursday, according to Turkish diplomatic sources.No further details on the meeting were provided by officials.

Fidan is visiting Ukraine for talks focused on strengthening bilateral ties, advancing efforts toward lasting peace and enhancing regional security. Türkiye believes continuing the process conducted through the Istanbul talks on the Russia-Ukraine war would be highly beneficial, Fidan said Thursday.

"I believe it would be very beneficial for Türkiye-mediated Istanbul talks on the Russia-Ukraine war to continue under the same framework," Fidan said at a joint news conference in Kyiv with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.

Fidan said Türkiye is exploring new strategic approaches to break the current deadlock in the conflict, and that new ideas are being discussed with the parties and mediators.

Fidan stressed the importance of continuing such meetings without interruption, saying: "The fact that the war is continuing does not mean negotiations in this format cannot continue."He said that after the Istanbul talks, US negotiators became involved in an effort to determine what could be done to achieve a more final and tangible outcome.