The Head of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Andriy Sybiga, confirmed President Volodymyr Zelensky's readiness for a personal meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. According to the diplomat, one of the most suitable venues for such a dialogue could be Ankara — a city that has repeatedly served as neutral ground for resolving complex issues between Kyiv and Moscow.
Turkey as a key diplomatic platform
Sybiga emphasized that Ankara holds the status of one of the global diplomatic capitals and has repeatedly played an important role in mediating between the parties to the conflict. "We advocate for Turkey to be one of the main venues where a meeting between Zelensky and Putin could take place. We support this and are grateful to the Turkish side for their readiness to undertake such a mission — to organize a meeting of such a high level," stated the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Real proposals to end the war
In Sybiga's opinion, direct negotiations between the presidents could give a serious boost to peace efforts. "As for the Ukrainian side, answering your question, we have real proposals on how to end this war. Ukraine is striving for peace. And we are committed to all peace efforts that are currently ongoing, including with the involvement of the American side. We count on a new role for Europe in these peace efforts. Ukraine is ready for a ceasefire," the diplomat emphasized.
Strengthening Ukraine's negotiating position
Sybiga also noted that the situation is becoming increasingly tense for Russia. "Russia cannot ignore the fact that Ukraine has significantly strengthened its positions on the battlefield. Ukraine is becoming increasingly successful in its asymmetric operations on Russian territory. And this entire combination of elements significantly strengthens our negotiating position. Therefore, it is now time to sit down at the negotiating table, maximize the use of diplomacy, and end this war," concluded the Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The position of the Russian camp
Previously, RBK-Ukraine reported that there are voices in Vladimir Putin's entourage supporting the idea of ending the war along the front line. This indicates that even within the Russian elite, an understanding of the need for a diplomatic solution to the conflict is maturing.
A new stage in Ukrainian strategy
Recently, Sybiga also stated that Ukraine no longer needs permission to conduct strikes on Russian territory. This indicates a transition to a more active and independent military and diplomatic strategy aimed at achieving a sustainable peace.
