Türkiye ready to host top Russia, Ukraine envoys for peace talks: Cavusoglu

Türkiye has said that Ukraine and Russia could hold a high-level meeting in a week or two, as Ankara leads efforts to end the ongoing conflict through diplomacy.

"There could be a higher-level meeting, at least at the level of foreign ministers, within about a week or two weeks," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in a televised interview on Thursday.

"What matters is that the two sides come together and agree on a lasting ceasefire," he said. 

"We would like to host a foreign ministers' meeting as an honest mediator."

Touching on Türkiye’s potential role as guarantor state for a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia, he said that taking up this role does not mean entering the conflict.

In a breakthrough, Russian and Ukrainian delegations met for peace talks in Istanbul on Tuesday as the Russian attack against Ukraine entered its second month with casualties piling up on both sides.

Ukraine wants to see countries, including Türkiye, as guarantors in a deal with Russia, a Ukrainian negotiator said after the talks.

The talks provided a spark of hope for an end to the conflict in Ukraine but there are few signs of attacks abating on the ground.

The Turkish foreign minister also praised Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich, who was present at the Istanbul talks, for his "useful role" in ending the conflict.

READ MORE: Erdogan: A just peace between Russia and Ukraine will have no losers

Türkiye's unique position

Türkiye has won widespread praise for its efforts to resolve the conflict, helped by its unique position in having friendly relations with both Russia and Ukraine.

NATO member Türkiye, which has friendly ties with both sides, has positioned itself as a mediator and hosted Lavrov and Kuleba in the southern resort city of Antalya in early March.

It was the highest-level meeting of the two sides since the war began on February 24.

At least 1,189 civilians have been killed in Ukraine, including 108 children, and 1,901 others injured, according to estimates by the UN, which cautioned that the true figure is likely far higher.

More than four million Ukrainians have also fled to several European countries, with millions more displaced inside the country, according to the UN refugee agency.

READ MORE: Türkiye sees ‘most meaningful progress’ in Russia-Ukraine talks