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Erdogan Pushes for Zelenskyy-Putin Peace Summit—With Trump Ready to Join
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that Ankara is working to organize a high-stakes peace summit between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, with US President Donald Trump joining the talks if they happen, Erdogan stated, according to Reuters on June 26.
Erdogan revealed he had discussed the plan with Trump, who expressed interest in attending the meeting if Putin agrees to come.
“He [Trump] said, ‘If Russian President Vladimir Putin comes to Istanbul or Ankara to solve this problem, then I will come too,’” Erdogan said. “We will establish the necessary contacts and, God willing, make this meeting happen as soon as possible.”
Erdogan framed the potential meeting as part of Turkey’s broader push to end the war in Ukraine through diplomacy.
“I believe a window of opportunity has opened for a ceasefire and lasting peace. We cannot afford to miss it,” Erdogan said.
“We are working to lay the groundwork for a lasting peace process by supporting additional concrete steps between the parties.”
He added, “I hope the war ends as soon as possible with the support of our allies. As I always say, in a just world, there are no losers.”
Erdogan has consistently positioned Turkey as a mediator between Kyiv and Moscow throughout the war, maintaining working relationships with both sides.
While past attempts to host peace talks, including meetings in Istanbul in 2022, have fallen through, Ankara continues to pursue diplomatic avenues—this time potentially with the involvement of a major US political figure.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump met during the NATO summit in The Hague. Zelenskyy described the meeting as “substantive,” noting that the two leaders discussed key issues related to ending Russia’s war against Ukraine and protecting civilians.
