Turkish, US top diplomats discuss Ukraine peace efforts after Istanbul negotiations

ISTANBUL - Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed efforts to end the war in Ukraine and broader regional developments during a phone call on Tuesday, Turkiye's state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

The two officials reviewed recent steps to de-escalate the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, including the outcome of a fresh round of peace talks held in Istanbul on Monday.

In the second round of negotiations -- following an initial meeting on May 16 -- Ukrainian and Russian delegations reportedly reached a preliminary agreement on several humanitarian issues. These included expanded prisoner exchanges for soldiers under the age of 25 and those seriously wounded or ill, as well as the repatriation of the bodies of 6,000 fallen soldiers from each side.

Turkiye has been pushing to host a high-level summit involving the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, and the United States, in a bid to lay the groundwork for a broader resolution to the conflict.

In addition to Ukraine, Fidan and Rubio also exchanged views on developments in Syria and Gaza, though no further details were provided.