Russia's Lavrov plans to visit Turkey amid Ukraine talks

According to sources familiar with the matter, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is planning to visit Turkey next week as part of his regional tour. The visit is expected to take place in Ankara from February 24th to 25th, marking a significant diplomatic engagement in the region.

Earlier this week, Lavrov informed the Russian State Duma (lower house of parliament) that high-level talks with the Syrian government would be held next week, potentially indicating that the Russian Foreign Minister will also visit Syria. Lavrov's tightly packed itinerary highlights Russia's active diplomatic posture in the Middle East, reflecting its strategic interests.

Notably, Lavrov's visit to Turkey coincides with ongoing negotiations between the United States and Russia regarding the war in Ukraine. While the agenda for Lavrov's visit remains unclear, he was originally scheduled to meet with the Turkish Foreign Minister during the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Johannesburg on Thursday. This comes after the US President Trump administration changed its policy, excluding Ukraine and the EU from negotiations, stating that Ukraine's efforts to join NATO are unrealistic and the US should not deploy troops in Eastern Europe as part of future security guarantees.

During Ukrainian President Zelenskyy's visit to Ankara on Tuesday, Turkey reaffirmed its full support for Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence. Zelenskyy stated that Turkish President Erdogan continues to support Kyiv's efforts to join NATO. An insider clarified that Ankara was not trying to make a political statement by hosting Zelenskyy amid heightened tensions between Washington and Kyiv, emphasizing that the visit had been planned long before the recent developments.

Initially, Zelenskyy had planned to travel to Riyadh after his trip to Turkey as part of his regional tour, with Ankara serving as a convenient stopover and a key ally for consultations. However, he was caught off guard by the high-level talks between US and Russian officials that excluded Ukraine's participation, leading him to cancel his visit to Saudi Arabia. Since 2022, Turkey has played a crucial facilitating role in negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. However, with direct diplomatic dialogues between Trump and Russian President Putin, Turkey's role has become less central. This week, Moscow announced that Russia and the United States would resume diplomatic relations.

Another source pointed out the irony that Ukraine is now seeking to participate in talks with Russia, while Turkey has repeatedly called for all parties to sit down at the negotiating table to discuss a ceasefire and potential peace agreement. Turkish officials have long warned that the war would be protracted and that Russia would not be easily defeated, indicating a pragmatic assessment of the conflict's dynamics.