Turkey's foreign minister will reiterate Ankara's offer to host peace talks between Ukraine and Russia at a meeting of European leaders in London on Sunday, a Turkish diplomatic source said on Saturday.

The US and Russia started talks in Istanbul to restore diplomatic staff in each other’s countries, Russian state news service Tass reported, a step by President Donald Trump to ease years of strained ties.

But exactly how he’d do so is a bit of a mystery. “I would advocate for bold recruitment and retention reforms, cutting bureaucratic red tape and improving quality of life initiatives to attract and retain top talent,

Turkey, with NATO's second-largest army and a Black Sea coastline, is looking to play a key role in Europe's security after Washington's pivot away from the region.

Russian and U.S. teams held six hours of talks in Turkey on Thursday to try to restore normal functioning of their embassies, and Vladimir Putin said initial contacts with Donald Trump's new administration had inspired hope.

Diplomats from Russia and the United States will meet in Istanbul on Thursday to discuss the operation of their respective embassies in Moscow and Washington, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that delegations from Russia and the US will meet in Istanbul on Thursday to discuss restoring the functioning of their embassies.

Russian and U.S. diplomats will meet in Istanbul on Thursday for talks aimed at restoring their respective diplomatic missions, seen as a step towards ending the war in Ukraine, both sides said on Wednesday.

Turkey said on Monday it was ready to host possible talks between Ukraine and Russia and would support any initiative leading to peace, following a visit to Ankara by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Turkeys Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will reiterate Ankaras willingness to mediate Ukraine-Russia peace talks at a European leaders meeting in London on Sunday, a Turkish diplomatic source confirmed.

U.S. and Russian officials met for six hours in Istanbul on Thursday to address diplomatic issues, marking an early test of efforts to mend strained relations. The discussions, held at the U.S. consul generals residence,

Lavrov said the talks would focus on creating better conditions for Russian diplomats in the United States and their U.S. counterparts in Russia, after a series of rows over staffing levels and embassy properties.