Ankara: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in the Turkish capital, Ankara, on Thursday afternoon to meet with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in conjunction with the resumption of peace negotiations with Russia in Istanbul. Zelensky is scheduled to meet with President Erdogan today at the Presidential Complex in Ankara.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Zelensky’s visit comes amid the resumption of peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul later today. On the 11th of this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed resuming direct negotiations with Ukraine without preconditions in Istanbul, asking Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to host the new round.

Erdogan, for his part, affirmed Turkey’s readiness to host the negotiations to achieve a just and lasting peace. The Ukrainian government welcomed the move, while the international community’s attention is focused on the meetings hosted by Istanbul.