The Russian and Turkish presidents held a strategic meeting in Turkmenistan on Friday, the Kremlin reported. The discussion 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, noting that bilateral relations between Russia and Turkey continue to advance across all sectors. “The multi-faceted and diversified nature of our relations, particularly in trade and economic spheres, enables us to address difficulties at the international level and from external pressures,” Peskov stated. He emphasized that major joint projects remain on track, with priority given to the continued construction of Türkiye’s Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant—the country’s first nuclear facility. Ankara has expressed confidence that the plant will be commissioned on schedule, and Russia’s Rosatom is capable of fulfilling all obligations.
The leaders also addressed the Ukraine conflict. Turkish media reports indicate that Ankara is actively pursuing new peace negotiations to overcome current impasses in the crisis. Additionally, Putin and Erdogan discussed European efforts involving frozen Russian assets. Peskov characterized these as a “grandiose fraud” that both leaders agreed risks undermining the foundations of the international financial system.
The EU has reportedly planned to freeze approximately €210 billion ($246 billion) in Russian central bank assets held at Belgium-based Euroclear, intended to support a Ukrainian loan. The Bank of Russia has initiated legal proceedings against this measure.