Volodymyr Zelensky said he is ready to meet with Vladimir Putin in Turkey if a meeting of leaders is organized to end the war. The Ukrainian president said this to CNN Türk after his talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul.
„This war must end. We must unite our efforts and transfer at least the hot phase of the war to a diplomatic one“, Zelensky said. He expressed hope that Turkey would mediate between Kiev and Moscow and pointed out that Erdogan's ties with both Putin and US President Donald Trump could help the diplomatic process.
Trilateral meeting discussed in Turkey
According to Zelensky, the possibility of a trilateral meeting of leaders in Turkey was again discussed at the meeting with Erdogan. The Ukrainian president did not specify a specific date, but said that Kiev would accept a similar format if Ankara manages to organize it.
“I am ready to meet with Putin in Turkey“, Zelensky said. He described Turkey as a “practical and realistic mediator“, which can talk to all parties without taking sides in the negotiations. According to him, the final decisions to end the war should be made by the leaders, not just by technical teams.
Proposal for a safe corridor in the Black Sea
Among the main topics of the talks with Erdogan were security in the Black Sea, free shipping, food exports and energy. Zelensky said that currently three Turkish ships and one Greek ship are under attack while in Ukrainian ports.
“If these ships sink, the crews will also die“, the Ukrainian president warned. He said that Ukraine is organizing convoys to remove them, but Russian forces are also attacking Ukrainian teams participating in the operations.
Zelensky proposed minimum security rules in the Black Sea. Ships under Turkish or other flags should be able to visit Ukrainian ports without being attacked by Russia. At the same time, Ukraine should not attack Turkish ships entering Russian ports.
According to him, Erdogan will discuss these issues with the Russian side. Zelensky did not indicate when and in what format the talks could be held.
Energy and future negotiations
The Ukrainian president said that a possible cessation of attacks on energy infrastructure was also discussed with Erdogan. He linked the topic to the approaching winter and the ongoing Russian ballistic attacks on Ukraine.
Zelensky indicated that technical teams from the United States, Russia and Ukraine could discuss an energy and maritime ceasefire, as well as an exchange of prisoners. However, he stressed that these talks could not replace the leaders' meeting.
“The leaders' meeting is a prerequisite“, Zelensky said. He defined a complete and unconditional ceasefire as the main goal and stressed that future decisions on Ukrainian territories cannot be made without the participation of Kiev.
Sources: cnnturk.com, t24.com.tr, turkiyegazetesi.com.tr