Erdogan, Zelenskyy discuss energy security and peace efforts in Istanbul talks

Read a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST
FAST

ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Istanbul on Saturday (Apr 4) for talks on energy and navigation security and efforts to end the war with Russia, the Turkish presidency said.

The visit came a day after Erdogan spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who accused Kyiv of attempting to target the gas pipeline between Russia and Turkey supplying several European countries.

Erdogan "stressed the importance that Turkey attaches to the safety of navigation in the Black Sea and the crucial nature of the security of energy supply," his office said. The two leaders also discussed relations between the countries, "peace efforts in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and regional and international developments," it added.

ENERGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE ON AGENDA

Zelenskyy said they had discussed "steps to implement joint projects in developing gas infrastructure, as well as opportunities for joint development of gas fields."

CNA Games

Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time

Buzzword
Create words using the given letters

Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser

Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge

Word Search
Spot as many words as you can
Show More
Show Less

The meeting was held at the Dolmabahce Palace on the shores of the Bosphorus, which also hosted several rounds of talks between Moscow and Kyiv in the past, with a heavy police presence around the venue.

Zelenskyy was also due to meet Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of most Christian Orthodox churches, a week before the Orthodox Easter, celebrated in Ukraine and Russia on Apr 12.

TRUCE PROSPECTS REMAIN UNCERTAIN

Kyiv has been pushing for a truce over the Orthodox Easter holidays that would include a halt in attacks on energy infrastructure. Russia, which is seeking a permanent settlement rather than a brief ceasefire, said it had not seen any "clearly formulated" proposals from Kyiv.

Ukraine has struck Russian energy infrastructure throughout the more than four-year war in a bid to weaken Moscow's ability to finance its offensive. Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities have cut power and heating to millions of people since the war began in 2022.

Sign up for our newsletters

Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox

Subscribe here

Get the CNA app

Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories

Download here

Get WhatsApp alerts

Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app

Join here