Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced Thursday that former U.S. President Donald Trump is prepared to take part in a proposed Ukraine peace summit in Turkey—but only if Russian President Vladimir Putin agrees to participate.
Speaking to reporters after the NATO summit in The Hague, Erdoğan stated that Trump conveyed his conditional willingness during informal discussions on the sidelines of the meeting.
“If Russian President Vladimir Putin comes to Istanbul or Ankara for a solution, then I will also come,” Erdoğan quoted Trump as saying.
The Turkish leader emphasized that Ankara would begin immediate preparations for such a summit and called on all sides to support diplomatic dialogue. “We are ready to host the leaders in Istanbul or Ankara,” Erdoğan said, underlining Turkey’s position as a neutral party with open channels to both Moscow and Kyiv.
Previous Mediation Efforts
Turkey has long positioned itself as a potential mediator in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Erdoğan reminded reporters that Turkey hosted earlier rounds of Ukraine–Russia negotiations in March 2022 and again in June 2025. However, those meetings involved only mid-level representatives. This time, Erdoğan said, his aim is to convene the key decision-makers.
“Türkiye is the only country that can talk to both Russia and Ukraine at the highest level,” he asserted.
Involvement of Ukraine
According to Erdoğan, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also spoke with Trump briefly during the NATO gathering. Their conversation reportedly included defense issues and U.S. support for Ukraine’s missile defense systems. Ankara has not yet confirmed if Zelensky would commit to attending a summit with both Putin and Trump.
