Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that his country “positively” sees the possibility of resuming talks with Ukraine in Istanbul.
“We view the possibility of resuming negotiations in Istanbul positively,” Lavrov said on Saturday in response to a question by Anadolu at the 5th Antalya Diplomacy Forum on the prospects for resuming peace talks in Istanbul and the efficiency of Ankara’s mediation role.
He said that the topic of resuming negotiations is currently not their "number one priority” and that the Russian side has never forced negotiations on anyone.
“We always assumed that if a partner is willing, we'd be ready. And this is despite the very poor track record of our Ukrainian colleagues with whom we negotiated," he further said.
He went on to recall previous negotiations with the Ukrainian side in Istanbul in April 2022, as well as three rounds of peace talks in the Turkish metropolis in mid-2025.
“We don't shy away from negotiations. When someone is ready, let them make a proposal. We'll see if the timing is right, the location is convenient, and what the agenda is,” Lavrov added.
Russia and Ukraine conducted three rounds of renewed peace talks last year in Istanbul— on May 16, June 2, and July 23— which produced major prisoner swaps and draft memorandums outlining positions of both sides for a potential peace deal.
Under US mediation, Moscow and Kiev also held three rounds of peace talks earlier this year on January 23-24, February 4-5, and February 17-18. The first two were in Abu Dhabi, while the third took place in Geneva.
Since then, negotiations have been paused with both Moscow and Kiev attributing the halt in Russia-Ukraine peace talks to the US' focus on Iran.
US economic relations
The Russian foreign minister also touched on other topics, saying he believes it is time for Moscow to discuss how the US envisions their future economic relations.
"Especially when it comes to ongoing developments. Sanctions haven't been lifted since the (former US President Joe) Biden era, not even diplomatic property has been returned," Lavrov said.
Noting that Russian companies such as Lukoil and Rosneft have already been hit with new sanctions by the administration of US President Donald Trump, Lavrov defined Washington's dominance in global energy markets as an "openly declared" goal.
Lavrov further said Russia and the US continue to have "a lot of disagreements" under the Trump administration.
Amid the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Lavrov called for not forgetting other issues in the Middle East, including the topic of Palestine.
"Nobody remembers the West Bank, nobody talks about the fact that the Israeli leadership openly declares that there will never be any Palestinian state," Lavrov said, noting that "very difficult processes" are also underway in Syria.
He also said that it "would be a shame" if the UN decision for a two-state solution is "simply ignored and largely destroyed."
"The war in the Gulf, in my view, was not motivated by any malicious intent. I don't think there were genuine plans to destroy civilisation. It's a figure of speech, I think. But there were plans to control the oil that passes through the Persian Gulf, through the Strait of Hormuz, and the Gulf of Oman," he also said.
Lavrov went on to express caution over comparing Moscow to a "paper tiger," and that ties between Russia and China are "of a higher, deeper, and more reliable quality than classical military alliances."
