Baghdad: The Turkish Presidency has expressed hope for reaching an agreement on the Ukraine crisis, stating that a proposed summit in Istanbul between the leaders of Russia, the United States, and Ukraine could become a historic turning point, if technical teams succeed in drafting a framework agreement.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, a senior official from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s administration told reporters that “the meeting between the three leaders could be historic if the technical teams are able to prepare a draft agreement during the ongoing talks in Istanbul.”

President Erdogan had previously stated his intention to facilitate a potential summit in Istanbul involving U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov clarified that there are no concrete plans at this stage to hold such a meeting in Turkey, despite Erdogan’s initiative.

“The achievement of a ceasefire would undoubtedly be a historic milestone,” the Turkish official added. “This has been the primary goal of President Erdogan’s initiative, and the technical teams meeting in Istanbul must prepare a draft for the agreement.”

Istanbul has already hosted three rounds of direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, which resulted in prisoner exchanges and the repatriation of fallen soldiers’ remains from Russia to Ukrainian authorities. The two sides also exchanged draft proposals for a potential settlement of the conflict.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated that Russia’s conditions regarding the Ukraine issue, announced in the summer of 2024, remain unchanged. ‘If Kyiv believes it is not ready to negotiate with Moscow now, Russia is prepared to wait,’ Putin said, emphasizing the need for a lasting peace in Ukraine without any time constraints.