Zelenskiy to Meet Erdogan in Istanbul on Saturday, Hopes for November Progress on Peace Talks
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday he would hold important talks with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul on Saturday, part of diplomatic efforts after more than four and a half years of war with Russia.
Speaking in his nightly video address, Zelenskiy linked the discussions to the resumption next month of talks aimed at moving towards a resolution of the conflict. 'Important negotiations will take place in Turkey. We are also working to ensure that all available diplomatic opportunities are pursued,' he said. 'We expect that in November we will be able to move towards the formats that have been under discussion for such a long time.' Erdogan's communications director, Burhanettin Duran, also said on X that Zelenskiy would meet Erdogan on Saturday in Istanbul.
Zelenskiy said this week that he hoped a trilateral meeting between peace negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the United States would take place in Abu Dhabi between November 6 and November 10, and that Kyiv wanted Europe to be involved in the talks on how to end the war.
Turkey has repeatedly offered to help facilitate talks aimed at ending the war. Ukrainian and Russian officials have held several meetings in the country since Moscow's 2022 invasion of its smaller neighbour, according to Reuters.
Related: Follow-Up: Zelenskiy Sets Out His Red Lines in an ABC Interview
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy in September 2026. Photo: Vinnytsia Oblast State Administration, CC BY, via Wikimedia Commons
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