Russian, Ukrainian Delegations Meet in Istanbul as Erdogan Hosts Zelensky

Turkey hosts talks on the Ukrainian-Russian crisis on Thursday, with delegations representing the two parties meet in Istanbul, as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan receives Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy, as soon as he arrived at the airport Ankara, announced that he would decide on some things after his meetings with Erdogan in the presidential complex in the capital.

Meanwhile, delegations representing Russia and Ukraine were present in Turkey for talks that will take place in Istanbul later on Thursday, the first face-to-face talks between the two neighbors since the 2022.
On the Russian side, the delegation is headed by Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Putin and ex-culture minister, in addition to Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin.

The talks have been overshadowed by the absence of President Vladimir Putin, whose no-show was slammed by Western leaders.

For his part, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said there was a new window of opportunity to achieve peace between Ukraine and Russia, adding that he hopes planned talks will open a new chapter.

Fidan was speaking at the opening of an informal NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in the southern Turkish province of Antalya.