The freeze on the peace dialogue between Ukraine and Russia is causing a persistent sense of anxiety in Ankara, although Turkish diplomats deliberately avoid blunt formulations such as “a negative reaction.” This was stated in an exclusive interview with RBC-Ukraine by Nariman Jelyal, the Ambassador of Ukraine to Turkey, who emphasized that the Turkish side fully understands that the Russian side was the one who initiated the pause. In his words, diplomatic circles in Ankara harbor no illusions about the reasons behind the halt in contacts, yet they publicly maintain a restrained tone, focusing on finding ways out of the deadlock.
The Only Channel Still Working: Prisoner Exchanges
Despite the overall stagnation in the negotiation process, the ambassador pointed to one area where real progress has been recorded — the release of Ukrainian prisoners of war and some civilians. “We were releasing or exchanging our people both before and after, but here there has indeed been a significant quantitative increase,” Jelyal noted. Thus, the humanitarian track remains the only working mechanism of interaction that has not been paralyzed by Moscow’s political will.
The Black Sea as a Trigger for Escalation and Kyiv’s Mirror Responses
The most sensitive topic in the Ukrainian-Turkish dialogue has become the deaths of Turkish sailors as a result of attacks on commercial vessels. Jelyal stated outright that Kyiv “speaks honestly” about the fact that Russia’s constant strikes on port infrastructure and civilian shipping compel the Ukrainian side to respond in kind. According to the ambassador, such escalation is categorically unacceptable to Turkish partners, who persistently propose meetings and support the idea of resuming dialogue. According to The Telegraph, attacks on civilian shipping have already significantly limited the operations of the ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Yuzhne, which could cost Ukraine up to 1.5% of its GDP.
“Everyone Is Ready Except the Head of the Kremlin Himself”
The ambassador emphasized that Kyiv is not giving up on dialogue: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in conversations with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has repeatedly expressed readiness to meet with Vladimir Putin precisely on Turkish territory. At the same time, according to Jelyal’s assessment, any negotiations below the level of heads of state are considered ineffective under current conditions. “In the end, we run into Russia’s unwillingness to negotiate. The Turks are ready, we are ready, the Americans are ready. Everyone is ready except the head of the Kremlin himself and his entourage,” the diplomat summed up.
Economic Context: The Free Trade Zone and Its Costs
In parallel with the diplomatic track, the economic dimension of the relationship is developing. The free trade agreement between Ukraine and Turkey was signed back in 2022, and recently the Verkhovna Rada ratified the document, after which it was signed by the president. Jelyal acknowledged that the free trade zone opens new sales markets for Ukrainian business, but at the same time creates risks for light industry, which, in his words, will have to be supported at the state level.
Moscow’s Position: The Grain Track Remains Frozen
Against the backdrop of Kyiv’s and Ankara’s statements of readiness for dialogue, Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko stated that Moscow does not yet see the conditions for resuming the grain agreement in the Black Sea. This confirms Ambassador Jelyal’s thesis that the initiative to resume contacts is systematically blocked at the level of the Russian leadership, while the Ukrainian, Turkish, and American sides, in his assessment, demonstrate readiness for negotiations.
