Russian and U.S. diplomats will meet in Istanbul on Thursday for talks aimed at restoring their respective diplomatic missions, seen as a step towards ending the war in Ukraine, both sides said on Wednesday.

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan meets with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as they are flanked by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, February 24, 2025. Murat Cetinmuhurdar/PPO/Handout via REUTERS

On the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has once again offered to organize negotiations aimed at resolving the conflict. Turkey, a NATO country with ties to both Ukraine and Russia,

Turkey has offered to host negotiations “between both parties” to end the war in Ukraine after backing an American push for peace. As the war enters its fourth year, the offer follows talks between the foreign ministers of Russia and Turkey in Ankara on Monday and a new US-led drive to end the conflict that has taken a sharp turn in Moscow’s