President Volodymyr Zelensky's meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, began in Ankara on May 15.
The meeting is taking place ahead of potential peace talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegates in Istanbul.
"First of all, I would like to thank President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for organizing the possibility of direct negotiations," Zelensky said upon his arrival, according to his Telegram channel.
After Moscow proposed to hold peace talks in Turkey this week, Zelensky agreed and invited Russian President Vladimir Putin for a face-to-face meeting. The Russian leader declined to attend and appointed his aide, Vladimir Medinsky, to lead the talks.
"We need to understand what the level of the Russian delegation is, what their mandate is, and whether they are capable of making decisions on their own," said Zelensky.
"Because we all know who makes decisions in Russia," he added, saying Moscow appears to have sent a "sham" delegation.
Zelensky previously met Erdogan in Ankara in February, during which the two leaders reportedly discussed Turkey's potential participation in a peacekeeping force after a ceasefire.
Erdogan has maintained close ties with both Kyiv and Moscow during the full-scale war, positioning Turkey as a mediator in the war.
In 2022, Istanbul hosted the unsuccessful — and so far, the only — direct peace talks between Ukraine and Russia. Turkey also helped to broker a Black Sea grain deal that allowed safe maritime shipment until Russia pulled out of the agreement in 2023.
Kateryna Denisova
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