Ukrianian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Ankara on Thursday to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, signaling renewed diplomatic efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine.
This visit comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin called for reviving stalled peace negotiations in Istanbul. Zelenskyy expressed his willingness to attend direct peace talks with Russia in Istanbul, but only if Putin also participates.
“I am waiting to see who will come from Russia, and then I will decide which steps Ukraine should take. So far, the signals from them in the media are unconvincing,” Zelenskyy said late Wednesday.
However, the Kremlin announced that Putin will not join the Russian delegation for the talks in Istanbul on Thursday. Instead, Russia will be represented by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky.
Speaking at the NATO informal meeting in Antalya, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said, “The talks to be held in Istanbul will hopefully lead us to open a new page.”
The last direct talks between Ukraine and Russia took place in Istanbul in March 2022, where the two sides failed to agree to halt the fighting.
