By Janet Ekstract ISTANBUL- Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to be in Turkiye on November 19, in an effort to jump-start negotiations to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine after four years of war. Zelensky told a news conference in Spain on November 18, that he will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss “a just peace for Ukraine.” It’s not yet clear if U.S. officials will be present for the talks as a senior Turkish official told the Associated Press that U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff would not be taking part in the talks as originally planned – some sources have said Witkoff will be present for the discussions. To that end, Zelensky said: “We see some positions and signals from the United States.” As for Russian participation, The Kremlin said it won’t be sending any officials to Turkiye. A key Turkish spokesman said talks in Turkiye will be held in Ankara and will focus on steps to establish a ceasefire and a lasting settlement. The head of presidential communications, Burnhanettin Durhan posted on X that there will be additional discussions on Ukraine-Turkish relations. According to sources, the focus will also touch on additional prisoner exchanges between Ukraine and Russia.
Meanwhile, Zelensky has been traveling to European capitals to garner support for Ukraine’s war effort. He met with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on November 18 in Madrid where an agreement was reached to give Ukraine $964 million worth of defense and reconstruction aid. Zelensky was also in Paris on November 17 where he signed a letter of intent to purchase up to 100 Rafale warplanes from France as well as drones and ground-to-air systems. On November 18, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said “there will be no Russian representative in Turkey” during Zelensky’s visit but he emphasized that Russia is ready to negotiate. Peskov told reporters in his daily conference call: “For now, these contacts are taking place without Russian participation. We will await information on what would actually be discussed in Istanbul.” Zelensky is expected to be in Ankara on Wednesday, November 19 for the talks. He told reporters: “We are preparing to reinvigorate negotiations, and we have developed solutions that we will propose to our partners. Doing everything possible to bring the end of the war closer is Ukraine’s top priority.”
