Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul on Friday to discuss efforts to end Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine. Turkey, a NATO-member country, has been actively involved in trying to mediate peace between Kyiv and Moscow.
During the talks, Erdogan was expected to push for negotiations to bring an end to the conflict, now in its third year. Additionally, discussions centered around a potential new measure to ensure the safety of commercial vessels navigating the Black Sea.
Zelenskyy has been seeking support from various nations for additional munitions and weaponry to counter Russian advances into Ukrainian territories, particularly in the Donetsk and Kharkiv regions.
Turkey previously hosted meetings between Russian and Ukrainian officials in an attempt to resolve the conflict, including talks aimed at facilitating the transport of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea. However, Russia withdrew from the agreement citing export challenges.
During his visit to Istanbul, Zelenskyy toured shipyards where Turkish companies are constructing two corvettes for the Ukrainian navy, showcasing the strong defense ties between the two nations.
This meeting marks Zelenskyy's return to Turkey since his last visit in July, during which a group of Ukrainian commanders were allowed to return to Ukraine following a prison exchange deal. The reasons behind this decision remain undisclosed by Ankara and Kyiv.
