Zelensky says ‘important’ talks will be held in Türkiye as Ukraine pushes for new peace format in November

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said “important” negotiations would take place in Türkiye as Kyiv seeks to revive diplomatic efforts to end the war with Russia and move toward new negotiating formats in November.

“Important negotiations will take place in Türkiye. We’re also working to make the most of every diplomatic opportunity available to us,” Zelensky said in his nightly address on Friday.

“We expect to be able to move forward in November with the formats that have been discussed for so long.”

Zelensky is due to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Istanbul on Saturday, with the Russia-Ukraine war, Black Sea security and bilateral cooperation expected to feature prominently in the talks.

His remarks do not, however, confirm that a new formal round of Russia-Ukraine negotiations will be hosted by Türkiye in November.

Zelensky said earlier this week that he hopes negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the United States will instead hold a trilateral meeting in Abu Dhabi between Nov. 6 and 10, with Kyiv also seeking European participation in discussions on ending the war.

Türkiye has repeatedly offered to facilitate negotiations and has hosted several rounds of Russian-Ukrainian talks since Moscow’s 2022 invasion.

Erdoğan has continued to position Ankara as a potential mediator, maintaining diplomatic channels with both Moscow and Kyiv while advocating a negotiated end to the conflict.