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In a significant move, President Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey announced on Friday the country’s readiness to facilitate a summit aimed at resolving the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia.

This statement came after an hour-long discussion with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Istanbul, where they explored various issues including the Ukraine-Russia war, the security of shipping in the Black Sea, and cooperation within the defense industry.

During a press conference with Zelenskyy, Erdogan expressed Turkey’s commitment to ending the war through negotiations. “We are giving our utmost contribution to ending the war on the basis of negotiations. We are ready to host a peace summit that Russia will attend, too,” Erdogan said. He also noted Turkey’s support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, a significant statement ahead of an anticipated visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The path to peace remains difficult despite Erdogan’s openness to hosting talks to end the war. Zelenskiy said that Russia would not be invited to the initial peace summit in Switzerland but did not rule out the possibility of involving a Russian representative in future meetings once a roadmap for peace is established with Ukrainian allies.