'Out of respect for President Trump and Erdogan': Zelenskyy sends delegation to Istanbul for talks with Russia

By Alperen Aktas and Elena Teslova

ISTANBUL/MOSCOW (AA) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday said that he is sending a delegation led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov to Istanbul for negotiations with Russian officials.

“Out of respect for President Trump and Erdogan, I have decided to send our delegation to Istanbul now … The delegation will be headed by the minister of defense,” Zelenskyy told journalists in Türkiye's capital Ankara.

The talks are part of intensifying diplomatic efforts to halt the war, with Istanbul once again serving as a key venue for Ukrainian-Russian dialogue.

This came as Türkiye positions itself as a central mediator in the conflict.

Zelenskyy’s announcement followed a high-level bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, which lasted nearly three hours behind closed doors.

His visit to Türkiye began earlier Thursday when he arrived at Ankara’s Esenboga Airport. He was welcomed by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and other officials who were in the country to attend an informal NATO foreign ministers meeting in Antalya.

Zelenskyy’s delegation will remain in Istanbul until May 16.