Turkey trying to revive Russia-Ukraine negotiations, Erdogan tells NATO chief

InternationalTurkey trying to revive Russia-Ukraine negotiations, Erdogan tells NATO chiefBy Reuters -Apr 23, 2026ANKARA: Turkey is making efforts to revive negotiations between Russia and ​Ukraine and bring together the leaders of the warring sides, ‌Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in a meeting in Ankara, the Turkish presidency said on Wednesday. Earlier on Wednesday, Kyiv said ​it had asked Turkey, a NATO member, to host a leaders’ level ​meeting with Russia. Ankara has maintained good ties with ⁠both Ukraine and Russia since Moscow’s full-scale invasion in 2022. “Erdogan said ​we were engaged, as Turkey, for the Ukraine-Russia war to end ​with peace, and that we are working to revive negotiations and start talks at the leaders’ level,” the presidency said in a readout of the meeting. The ​Turkish president also told Rutte that maintaining transatlantic ties was “indispensable”, ​but that Ankara expected European NATO allies to take more responsibility for transatlantic security, the presidency said. Erdogan ‌later ⁠held a call with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the presidency said, adding that he told the German leader the U.S.-Iran war was “starting to weaken Europe” and that the damage from the conflict would increase if ​world powers failed ​to intervene ⁠with “peace-oriented approaches”. “Erdogan said Turkey was working to end the Ukraine-Russia war through negotiations and reach lasting peace, ​just as it is trying with regard to Iran,” ​the ⁠presidency said in a separate statement. Turkey shares a border with Iran and has repeatedly called for an end to the war. It ⁠hosted a ​diplomacy forum last weekend attended by ​delegations from all sides, and is in close contact with the U.S., Iran, and ​mediators Pakistan.