Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is set to visit Turkey next week as part of a regional tour, according to sources speaking to Middle East Eye.
One source stated that Lavrov is expected to be in Ankara on February 24-25.
Earlier this week, Lavrov informed the Russian State Duma that high-level talks with the Syrian government would take place next week, hinting at a potential visit to Syria as well.
Lavrov’s visit to Turkey comes at a time when Washington and Moscow have resumed new talks regarding the war in Ukraine. However, his agenda in Ankara remains unclear, especially since he was already scheduled to meet his Turkish counterpart on Thursday in Johannesburg during the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting.
U.S. Policy Shift on Ukraine
In a major policy shift, the Trump administration has excluded Ukraine and the European Union from negotiations, deeming Ukraine’s NATO membership bid unrealistic and opposing the deployment of U.S. troops to Eastern Europe as part of any future security guarantees.
On Wednesday, former U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters that Russia had fought for control over parts of Ukraine, suggesting that Moscow might retain some of these areas. He also described Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a “dictator without elections”.
Turkey's Stance on Ukraine
Meanwhile, Turkey reaffirmed its full support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence during Zelensky’s visit to Ankara on Tuesday. Zelensky, in turn, confirmed that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan continues to back Ukraine’s NATO aspirations.
A source familiar with the matter denied that Ankara’s hosting of Zelensky was intended as a political message against Washington, emphasizing that the visit had been planned well in advance, before the latest developments.
Zelensky was originally scheduled to travel from Turkey to Saudi Arabia as part of a regional tour, but the trip was canceled after he was blindsided by high-level U.S.-Russia talks that excluded Ukraine.
Turkey’s Mediation Role Diminishing
Since 2022, Turkey has played a key mediating role between Ukraine and Russia. However, this role has diminished as Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have started direct negotiations.
In a recent development, Moscow announced that Russia and the U.S. will restore diplomatic relations.
A second source noted the irony in Ukraine now seeking to join talks with Russia, while Turkey had long urged all parties to come to the table to discuss a ceasefire and a potential peace deal.
Turkey’s leadership has consistently warned that the war will be prolonged and that Russia will not be easily defeated.
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