Turkey is ready to host a Russia-Ukraine summit, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said today Friday, welcoming his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky to Constantinople.

“We are ready to host a peace summit in which Russia will participate,” said the head of the Turkish state, addressing reporters with the Ukrainian president by his side.

Erdogan reiterated his “support for sovereignty and territorial integrity of (its) strategic ally, Ukraine”.

“Continuing our solidarity with Ukraine, we will continue to work for an end to the war and for a just, negotiated peace,” he said.

Regarding a new mechanism to guarantee the safety of commercial transport in the Black Sea, the Turkish president confirmed his “intention to reach an agreement between the sides”, saying he was ready to offer his help.

“We have the same position on food security, prisoner exchanges and navigation guarantees: we have to secure them,” he added. “We don’t lose hope!”.

Erdogan also pledged that Turkey would contribute significantly to the reconstruction of Ukraine once the war is over.

Since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Erdogan he offered himself several times as a mediator in order to find a peaceful solution to the conflict.