Ankara: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Ankara on Wednesday, where he is scheduled to meet with US Special Envoy Steven Witkoff. Zelensky is joined by Rustam Omerov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, who previously visited Turkey for preliminary negotiations before heading to the United States.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Zelensky is set to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and they will hold a joint press conference afterward. Zelensky has made clear his intention to discuss efforts to revive negotiations aimed at ending the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia.

Zelensky announced on Tuesday his plans to visit Turkey, stating, "We are preparing to revitalize negotiations, and we have developed solutions that we will present to our partners," on the X platform. He emphasized that bringing an end to the war remains Ukraine's top priority, though he did not specify if this would involve direct talks with Russia.

Istanbul previously hosted direct negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in May, June, and July 2025, leading to agreements on the release of thousands of prisoners from both sides. Last week, Russia's readiness to resume peace talks in Istanbul was echoed by a Foreign Ministry official, Alexei Polischuk, as reported by the Russian news agency TASS.

No direct talks have occurred between Russia and Ukraine since the last meeting in Istanbul on July 23.