Trilateral talks in Istanbul: Hope for peace in the Ukraine war!

Trilateral talks in Istanbul: Hope for peace in the Ukraine war!

On Thursday evening, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with a Russian delegation to prepare for the upcoming trilateral talks between Russia, Ukraine and Turkey. Those talks are scheduled for Friday, but neither Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky nor Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to be present in Istanbul. This could affect the participation in the talks of US President Donald Trump, who returns to Washington on Friday from his trip to the Gulf states and does not rule out short-term stops, reducing the likelihood of his presence in Istanbul, as oe24 reported.

The current situation surrounding the upcoming talks is reminiscent of the first peace negotiations that took place just weeks after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in spring 2022. These talks, held in Istanbul, were seen as potentially significant for peace history, but ultimately failed. Russia's military attack on Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, and although Ukraine was able to successfully defend its capital Kiev, negotiations fell into a difficult phase, especially after the well-known atrocities in Bucha, such as Berlin newspaper reported.

Failed negotiations and prospects

At the beginning of the negotiations, Russia set tough conditions, including demanding the surrender of the Ukrainian leadership. Ukraine, for its part, called for an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian corridors. Both sides initially appeared willing to compromise. Another meeting took place in Istanbul on March 29, 2022, at which a joint communiqué with security guarantees for Ukraine was drawn up. The treaty stipulated that Ukraine would remain neutral and refrain from joining Western military alliances.

Guarantors of Ukraine's security should include, among others, the permanent members of the UN Security Council and several European countries. Unfortunately, this negotiating tactic was undermined by the discoveries of war crimes in Ukraine. As a result, President Zelensky questioned the negotiations and instead called for greater military support. This ultimately led to the Ukrainian leadership banning talks with Putin.

Latest developments

Despite the challenges during negotiations in 2022, hope for dialogue remains. The planned trilateral talks in Turkey could represent a further attempt to de-escalate the conflict, although the circumstances and modest expectations of the outcome of the talks highlight the reality that the war could continue. The geopolitical situation and the disputes to date show how complex the situation is and how difficult it is to achieve lasting peace.