Ukraine Seeks Turkey as Venue for Volodymyr Zelenskyy–Vladimir Putin Talks

Ukraine has asked Turkey to host a potential meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, as Kyiv seeks to revive stalled peace negotiations.

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Ukraine has reached out to Ankara and other capitals, stressing it is open to any venue except Russia and Belarus. “We approached the Turks specifically, but also other partners,” Sybiha said, adding that Kyiv would attend talks “in any capital” willing to host the leaders, provided it is not Moscow or Minsk.

Ukraine has consistently pushed for a direct Zelenskyy-Putin meeting to help bring an end to the war, now stretching into its fourth year. Kyiv has ruled out Belarus, citing its close ties with Moscow and its role in enabling Russia’s 2022 invasion.

The Kremlin has previously предложed Moscow as a venue, an option Zelenskyy has rejected.

Separately, Sybiha said he has exchanged messages with Anita Orban, who is expected to take over as Hungary’s foreign minister following the country’s recent election.