Our goal is to bring together the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, and the US to achieve peace in the ongoing war.

This was stated by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, noting that he may hold talks with Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump this week.

"It is possible that I will talk to Putin and Trump this week to see if we can organize a meeting of leaders on the war in Istanbul," Erdogan said after Friday prayers in Istanbul.

"The last meeting was in Çirağan. My foreign minister held the meeting on my behalf. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian delegation met with us in Ankara before leaving for Çirağan. I welcomed them and held meetings with them. Of course, during these meetings, I also spoke with Vladimir Putin and sought his support," he explained.

Erdogan's words came after Turkey brought together Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul on July 23, Daily Sabah reported.

The warring parties met earlier in Istanbul on May 16 and June 2 under pressure from the US to agree on a ceasefire to end the three-year conflict. Despite the insistence of US President Donald Trump, no significant breakthrough was achieved.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin said today that a summit between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky could only take place as a final step towards a peace agreement.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was unlikely that such a meeting would take place by the end of August, as proposed by Ukraine.

So far, Ukrainian and Russian negotiators have only agreed on the exchange of prisoners of war. Since then, Russia has launched intensive air strikes against Ukraine and seized more territory on the front line.

Russia wants Ukraine to give up four regions, in addition to Crimea, which it annexed in 2014. The Kremlin also insists that Ukraine abandon any plans to join the NATO military alliance.

Ukraine has rejected the demands and expressed doubts that Russia wants a ceasefire.

Ankara is keen to boost its international profile as a key mediator and is using Istanbul's symbolic location to promote diplomacy between countries involved in conflicts and disputes at the global level.

Turkey, a NATO member, is one of the most active countries working to secure a lasting ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia. Its delicately balanced action in taking on the role of mediator, while keeping channels of communication open with both sides, offers a ray of hope in diplomatic efforts to find a solution and achieve peace in the Ukrainian crisis. | BGNES