• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan confirms he discussed the Ukraine war in separate calls with Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
  • A leaders' summit is not imminent, with both sides remaining at an impasse over core territorial disputes.
  • Turkey continues its role as a key mediator, though previous talks have yielded only limited humanitarian agreements.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has held separate discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, according to people familiar with the diplomatic efforts, but confirmed that the two warring leaders are "not yet ready" for a direct summit. The talks underscore Turkey's persistent, though so far unavailing, attempt to broker a diplomatic off-ramp to the conflict.

The latest diplomatic push follows a meeting between Putin and Erdoğan on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in China, where the Russian leader explicitly praised Turkey’s mediation role but acknowledged the lack of any substantive breakthrough. Efforts to restructure the terms of any potential ceasefire have hit a snag, primarily over Russia’s demand that Ukraine formally cede claims to four annexed regions, a condition Kyiv has staunchly refused.

Without a deal, the military stalemate is likely to continue, perpetuating the humanitarian crisis. A spokesperson for the Ukrainian presidency did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the specifics of the call with Erdoğan.

Turkey has maintained a delicate balancing act, keeping dialogue open with both Kyiv and Moscow since the full-scale invasion began in 2022. It previously hosted negotiations in Istanbul that resulted in limited agreements, mostly concerning prisoner and body exchanges. However, the prospect of a leaders' summit—the first since December 2019—appears remote as key preconditions remain unmet. Ukraine has also accused Russia of not sending negotiators with the authority to make binding decisions.

The diplomatic stalemate comes as Zelenskiy seeks to bolster European support, with a meeting scheduled with European leaders in Paris. While Hungary has been cited as another potential venue for talks and former US President Donald Trump has voiced support for a summit, the Kremlin has been clear that its core demands must be addressed before any high-level meeting can take place.