Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Tuesday that he will travel to Turkiye this week to revive negotiations aimed at ending Russia’s nearly four-year invasion. Joining him will be U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, according to a senior Turkish official, although the Kremlin confirmed that Russia will not be sending a representative.
Earlier this year, Turkiye hosted low-level talks between Ukraine and Russia, with limited success primarily focused on exchanging prisoners of war. Efforts led by the U.S. to establish peace have not resulted in any significant breakthroughs. Zelenskyy is set to arrive in Turkiye on Wednesday, following a stop in Spain where he sought new support.
“We are preparing to reinvigorate negotiations, and we have developed solutions that we will propose to our partners,” Zelenskyy stated on social media, emphasizing that bringing an end to the war is Ukraine’s top priority. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has voiced dissatisfaction with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s unyielding stance.
New U.S. sanctions targeting Russia’s crucial oil industry are anticipated to come into effect on Friday. These sanctions, aimed at firms like Rosneft and Lukoil, are designed to cut off funding for Putin’s military campaigns, which have led to countless deaths in Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned that there would be no Russian representative present in Turkiye but reaffirmed Moscow’s readiness to negotiate. He added, “For now, these contacts are taking place without Russian participation. We will await information on what would actually be discussed in Istanbul.”
The sanctions also include threats of secondary penalties against those who breach them, heightening the stakes for Putin, particularly as China and India remain significant importers of Russian oil.
Zelenskyy plans to meet with senior government officials on Thursday, alongside members of Ukraine’s Parliament and his political party, Servant of the People. Later on Tuesday, he is scheduled to meet in Madrid with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and King Felipe VI, along with a visit to Spain’s Parliament.
Recently kicking off a busy week, Zelenskyy was in Paris on Monday, where he signed a letter of intent to acquire up to 100 Rafale warplanes from France, along with drones and ground-to-air systems. On the ground, Ukraine has conducted a surprise aerial assault on energy infrastructure in occupied eastern regions of Donetsk. The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Tuesday that its air defenses intercepted 31 Ukrainian drones across various regions of Russia.
Original Source: https://theshillongtimes.com/2025/11/19/turkiye-to-host-zelenskyy-us-envoy-for-russia-ukraine-peace-talks/
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Publish Date: 2025-11-19 06:44:00
