Zelensky Visits Turkey in Bid to ‘Intensify’ Peace Talks
ISTANBUL – ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Istanbul, Turkey, today seeking to “intensify” efforts towards a peaceful resolution to teh conflict with Russia, as fighting continues to escalate in eastern Ukraine. The visit follows a recent tour of European capitals where Zelensky secured a gas deal in Athens, signed an agreement to obtain up to 100 fighter jets in Paris, and held talks on co-operation with Spanish arms manufacturers in Madrid.
The trips are part of a broader mission to bolster European support for Ukraine as Russian forces press their advance, particularly near the key eastern city of Pokrovsk.
Domestically, Zelensky is facing a important political crisis, with several members of his inner circle under inquiry for alleged involvement in a large-scale criminal scheme, leading to the resignation of two ministers. This scandal has prompted warnings from some EU leaders, who are scheduled to decide in December whether to release a €140bn (£121bn) loan to Kyiv contingent on tackling corruption.
The ongoing conflict approaches its fourth anniversary as Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, with Moscow and Kyiv remaining deeply divided on potential pathways to peace. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov recently affirmed that Russia’s conditions for a peace deal remain unchanged from those outlined by President Vladimir Putin in 2024, demanding Ukraine renounce its NATO aspirations and fully withdraw from the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions.
Zelensky has consistently maintained that ceding Donetsk and Luhansk – collectively known as the Donbas – would leave the rest of Ukraine vulnerable to future aggression.
Previous attempts at mediation, including efforts by US Special Envoy for Ukraine Derek Witkoff, have stalled. Following a meeting with Putin in April, Witkoff suggested a peace deal hinged on the status of the contested Ukrainian regions and Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, a position Zelensky criticized as echoing “Russian narratives.” Zelensky and Witkoff have not met as early September.
While high-level talks, including discussions between Donald trump and Putin, occurred over the summer, American efforts to broker a ceasefire have lost momentum. A planned summit between Trump and Putin in Budapest was reportedly cancelled after the US side resolute Moscow was unwilling to compromise on key demands unacceptable to Kyiv.
Despite this, contact between US and Russian officials continues, with Putin’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev reportedly meeting with Witkoff in Washington in late October, shortly after Trump imposed sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies.
