Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed cooperation, regional matters, and key international issues in Turkmenistan on Friday, according to the Kremlin.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Peace and Trust: Unity of Goals for a Sustainable Future International Forum and lasted approximately 40 minutes.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described the talks as positive, stating that bilateral relations between the two countries continue to develop across all areas. “The multi-faceted and diversified nature of our relations, especially in the trade and economic sphere, makes it possible to cope with difficulties at the international level and with pressure from third countries,” Peskov told reporters.
He also noted that major joint projects remain on the agenda, with priority given to the continued construction of Türkiye’s Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant — the country’s first nuclear facility. Ankara expects the plant to be commissioned on schedule, and Russia’s Rosatom has confirmed it will meet all obligations.
The leaders exchanged views on the Ukraine conflict, with reports indicating Ankara has signaled its eagerness to host additional peace talks aimed at breaking current deadlock in negotiations.
Putin and Erdogan also addressed European efforts to stage what Peskov referred to as a “grandiose fraud” involving frozen Russian assets. Both leaders agreed that such actions risk damaging the foundations of the international financial system.
The European Union is reportedly planning to freeze approximately €210 billion ($246 billion) in Russian central bank assets held at Euroclear in Belgium to back a Ukrainian loan. The Bank of Russia has initiated legal proceedings.
