Russian President Vladimir Putin has commended Turkey’s mediation role in efforts to resolve the ongoing war in Ukraine, during a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in China on Monday.
Speaking at the bilateral talks, Putin emphasized Ankara’s unique diplomatic position, noting that Turkey has already hosted several rounds of negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv.
“I am confident that Turkey’s special role in these matters will continue to be in demand,” the Russian leader said, while acknowledging progress made on humanitarian issues in the Istanbul talks.
Turkey previously facilitated three rounds of direct discussions between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul, which yielded limited outcomes such as prisoner swaps and the exchange of fallen soldiers’ remains. However, no major breakthroughs were achieved, largely due to entrenched positions on both sides.
Ukraine has repeatedly accused Moscow of sending delegates without real decision-making authority, while Russia insists that any comprehensive settlement must involve Kyiv ceding four regions that Moscow claims to have annexed. Ukraine has rejected this demand outright, calling it an attack on its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The stalemate continues despite international calls for renewed dialogue. Former U.S. President Donald Trump recently urged a direct meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but Moscow dismissed the proposal, insisting that “key issues” must be resolved before such high-level talks could take place.
Russia’s full-scale invasion, launched in February 2022, has devastated large swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine, leaving tens of thousands of civilians and soldiers dead and displacing millions.
While Turkey has positioned itself as a mediator acceptable to both parties, analysts say the fundamental divide between Moscow’s territorial demands and Kyiv’s insistence on sovereignty remains the biggest obstacle to peace.
