Ukraine's Zelenskiy plans Turkey visit to try to revive peace talks

AL-Monitor
Nov 18, 2025
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron (not seen) at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, November 17, 2025. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/Pool
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron (not seen) at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, November 17, 2025. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/Pool — Sarah Meyssonnier

KYIV (Reuters) -President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he planned to go to Turkey on Wednesday in an attempt to revive talks with Russia on how to end the war in Ukraine.

A Turkish source said that U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff would also visit Turkey on Wednesday and join the planned talks there with Zelenskiy.

"We are preparing to reinvigorate negotiations, and we have developed solutions that we will propose to our partners. Doing everything possible to bring the end of the war closer is Ukraine's top priority," Zelenskiy, who was visiting Spain on Tuesday, said about the meetings in Turkey.

No face-to-face talks have taken place between Kyiv and Moscow since they met in Istanbul in July.

Ukraine and Russia have held several rounds of talks in Istanbul that led to the exchange of thousands of prisoners of war and the remains of dead soldiers.

But the two sides have made no breakthrough towards a ceasefire or a settlement to end the war that is approaching its four year mark.

Zelenskiy said Kyiv was also working to restore exchanges of prisoners of war.

(Reporting by Anastasiia Malenko and Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Alison Williams)