Zelenskyy met with Erdogan in Istanbul

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Istanbul, where he held talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Key topics of the meeting included the safety of shipping in the Black Sea, ending Russian attacks on civilian vessels, developing bilateral cooperation, and diplomatic avenues for ending the war.

Turkey had previously offered to facilitate agreements to halt attacks on civilian shipping in the Black Sea. Ankara also expressed its readiness to help resume the negotiation process between Ukraine and Russia.

Separately, Zelenskyy plans to meet with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

On Saturday, October 31, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Istanbul with his delegation. In Turkey, he is set to hold important talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, as well as a meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

As a reminder, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked the leaders of Finland and Norway to convey certain messages to Vladimir Putin during their phone calls. These contacts with the Russian side were previously coordinated with Kyiv.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a telephone conversation with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. During the talks, the Turkish president stated that Ankara is ready to help establish direct contacts between Ukraine and Russia.