Zelensky arrives in Albania for European Political Community summit

Kateryna Denisova -

President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Albania on May 16 to attend a summit of the European Political Community, presidential spokesperson Serhii Nykyforov said, according to the state news channel Freedom TV.

The sixth meeting of the European Political Community will focus on Europe's security, including Russia's ongoing full-scale war against Ukraine, among other topics.

The summit comes as Ukrainian and Russian delegations are expected to hold talks in Istanbul for the first time since 2022. Turkish and U.S. officials will also reportedly join the series of discussions.

Zelensky's visit follows his trip to Turkey, where he met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Although a face-to-face meeting between Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin was anticipated in Istanbul, Putin instead sent a delegation led by his aide, Vladimir Medinsky.

Kyiv and its partners have urged Moscow to adopt an unconditional 30-day ceasefire as the first step toward a broader peace deal, a move that Russia continues to reject.

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The Kyiv IndependentAlex Cadier