Diplomatic delegations from the U.S., Ukraine, and Türkiye gathered in Istanbul on Friday for a historic trilateral meeting at the Dolmabahce Presidential Office. The closed-door session, chaired by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, aimed to lay groundwork for upcoming Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations 📋.
The U.S. delegation, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, included Ambassador Tom Barrack and Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg. Ukraine’s team featured top officials like presidential office head Andriy Yermak and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. No press access was allowed, but a photo from the meeting showed Türkiye’s intelligence director Ibrahim Kalin alongside Fidan 🕵️♂️.
Later sessions will involve Russian delegates led by Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky. This marks the first direct talks between Ukrainian and Russian officials since their March 2022 Istanbul meeting, which ended without a ceasefire. Could this round break the ice? 🕊️
