Meeting reportedly set up with US envoy, but Moscow says no Russian representatives will attend.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he hopes to revive talks over ending the war caused by Russia’s full-scale invasion two years ago during a trip to Turkiye on Wednesday.
On a short tour of European allies to discuss support early this week, Zelenskyy wrote on social media on Tuesday that Ukraine is “preparing to reinvigorate negotiations” and has developed solutions that he will “propose to partners”.
While Zelenskyy did not disclose details of his trip, news agencies reported that he would meet United States special envoy Steve Witkoff, as well as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in Ankara.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that no Russian representatives will take part in talks on November 19, but that President Vladimir Putin was open to conversations with the US and Turkiye on the results of the talks.
“For now, these contacts are taking place without Russian participation. We will await information on what would actually be discussed in Istanbul,” he said during his daily conference call with reporters.
‘Re-engage’
A senior Ukrainian official told the AFP news agency that Zelenskyy’s “main goal is for the Americans to re-engage” in peace efforts.
President Donald Trump has exhibited an erratic approach as he has sought to fulfill his boast that he would be able to bring a swift end to the war, which began with the Russian invasion in February 2022.
Ukraine has engaged in concentrated diplomatic efforts to ward off any sign that Trump’s impatience could see the US give up its bid to broker a ceasefire.
Ukraine and Russia have previously held several rounds of talks in Istanbul, mediated by the US and Turkiye, but no face-to-face talks have taken place since their delegations met in Istanbul in July.
Those earlier talks made little progress towards ending hostilities, although prisoner exchanges were arranged to repatriate captives and some bodies.
Zelenskyy’s social media post on Tuesday noted: “We are also working to restore POW exchanges and bring our prisoners of war home.”
The Ukrainian president wrote his social media note while in Spain to discuss support with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
Zelenskyy has been on a mini tour to visit Kyiv’s keenest backers, as he seeks additional air defences for use against concentrated Russian fire aimed at Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as winter brings freezing temperatures.
On Monday, he met President Emmanuel Macron in France to sign an accord that provides for Kyiv to acquire up to 100 fighter jets and other hardware, including drones.
Commenting on the deal, Peskov said that Paris “is in no way contributing to peace, but rather fuelling militaristic and pro-war sentiment”.
Ukrainian forces have concentrated fire on Russia’s lucrative oil industry, as well as energy systems.
On Tuesday, Ukraine launched an aerial attack on power stations in the Russian-occupied part of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, leaving many areas without power, according to Russian-appointed officials.
Attacks by Russian drones overnight sparked multiple fires in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro, while a 17-year-old girl was killed and 10 other people were wounded in a Russian missile strike on the town of Berestyn in the northeastern Kharkiv region.
