Ukraine’s Zelensky plans Turkey visit to try to revive peace talks

Summary

• Zelensky plans to meet Erdogan in Turkey on Nov 19 to revive peace talks with Russia and seek a "just peace" for Ukraine.
• Erdogan aims to discuss a ceasefire and lasting resolution to the Russia-Ukraine war with Zelensky during the Ankara meeting.
• No face-to-face talks have occurred between Kyiv and Moscow since July, despite previous Istanbul talks leading to prisoner exchanges.

KYIV/ANKARA - President Volodymyr Zelensky said he planned to go to Turkey on Nov 19 in an attempt to revive talks with Russia on how to end the war in Ukraine.

“We are preparing to reinvigorate negotiations, and we have developed solutions that we will propose to our partners. Doing everything possible to bring the end of the war closer is Ukraine’s top priority,” Mr Zelensky, who was visiting Spain on Nov 18,
said about the meetings in Turkey.

No face-to-face talks have taken place between Kyiv and Moscow since they met in Istanbul in July.

Earlier on Nov 18, a Turkish source said that US special envoy Steve Witkoff would also visit Turkey on Nov 18 and join the planned talks there with Mr Zelensky.

But a separate Turkish foreign ministry source said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would meet only Mr Zelensky in Ankara and not Mr Witkoff.

Mr Burhanettin Duran, head of the Turkish presidency’s communications directorate, said in a post on X that Mr Erdogan will discuss efforts to establish a ceasefire and achieve a lasting solution regarding the Russia-Ukraine war during his talks with Mr Zelensky in Ankara.

Ukraine and Russia have held several rounds of talks in Istanbul that led to the exchange of thousands of prisoners of war and the remains of dead soldiers.

But the two sides have made no breakthrough towards a ceasefire, or a settlement to end the war that is approaching its four-year mark.

Mr Zelensky on Nov 18 also said he planned to discuss with Mr Erdogan on Nov 19 how to bring a “just peace” to Ukraine. REUTERS