Zelensky to Visit Turkey in Bid to Reignite U.S.-Backed Peace Diplomacy With Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will travel to Turkey on Wednesday in an effort to revive stalled negotiations with Russia, seeking fresh U.S. engagement and renewed Western pressure on Moscow as the war approaches its fourth year.

A senior Ukrainian official told AFP that Zelensky’s “main goal” during talks in Ankara is to bring Washington back into an active mediating role after months of diplomatic stagnation. Kyiv hopes the U.S. will press the Kremlin toward negotiations through a combination of political leverage and new sanctions.

The trip will include meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, who is expected to join the discussions, according to Ukrainian and Turkish officials.

Kyiv Pushes to Restart Diplomacy After Months of Deadlock

Zelensky has repeatedly said that Ukraine wants to revive peace efforts that broke down earlier this year. Several rounds of talks in Istanbul between Russian and Ukrainian delegations failed to halt hostilities, as Moscow declined to accept a ceasefire and continued military operations across eastern Ukraine.

“The priority is to bring the end of the war closer,” Zelensky said during a visit to Spain on Tuesday. “We are preparing to reinvigorate negotiations and have developed solutions that we will propose to our partners.”

Kyiv is entering the Ankara talks seeking a coordinated Western push—particularly from Washington—amid concern that earlier diplomatic channels have dried up without producing results.

A Ukrainian official told AFP that U.S. military and financial support remains essential: “Americans are discussing a new wave of pressure [on Russia], so it is logical to negotiate diplomacy now.”

Witkoff to Attend Talks as Washington Considers New Sanctions

U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to join Zelensky in Turkey, marking Washington’s most direct involvement in months. Turkish officials confirmed the envoy’s participation to the Associated Press, while Kyiv has refrained from commenting publicly.

U.S. lawmakers are currently working on a bipartisan sanctions bill that would expand penalties on Russia, including potential tariffs on any country purchasing Russian oil or gas. President Donald Trump told reporters this week that the draft legislation “suits me,” signaling his readiness to support tougher measures.

The prospect of new sanctions is one of Kyiv’s key tools to deepen diplomatic leverage ahead of any renewed negotiations.

Trump has also attempted to personally mediate between Kyiv and Moscow, but has so far failed to secure a breakthrough. His administration recently imposed sanctions on two of Russia’s largest oil companies after months of frustration with the Kremlin’s refusal to compromise.

Russia Not Participating but Signals Openness to Future Talks

The Kremlin confirmed that no Russian representatives will attend the Ankara meetings. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow remains open to negotiations “in principle,” but noted that current contacts are taking place without Russian participation.

“We will wait for information about what will actually be discussed in Istanbul,” he said.

Bloomberg, citing a source familiar with preparations, reported that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan may relay the outcome of Zelensky’s talks to Moscow.

Ukraine’s Presidential Office has declined to comment on whether any indirect communication channels with Russia will be used during the visit.

Focus on Prisoner Exchanges and Humanitarian Agreements

Despite the absence of progress on a ceasefire, prisoner exchanges remain one of the few areas where the two sides have managed to cooperate. Thousands of Ukrainian and Russian detainees were exchanged in Istanbul between May and July, alongside the repatriation of soldiers’ remains.

The process has since slowed dramatically, and Zelensky has made restarting exchanges a central goal.

“We must restore the process and bring Ukrainian prisoners of war home,” he said.

Rustem Umerov, Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council and Kyiv’s chief negotiator, visited Istanbul on Nov. 11 to work on unblocking the talks. Umerov later said that Ukraine and Russia had “agreed to activate the Istanbul arrangements” concerning the release of roughly 1,200 Ukrainian prisoners. More than 2,500 Ukrainian soldiers are believed to remain in Russian captivity.

Zelensky’s European Tour Builds Momentum Ahead of Ankara Talks

The Ukrainian leader is currently on a broader European trip aimed at securing political support, military aid and energy infrastructure assistance ahead of the winter months. On Tuesday, he met Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in Madrid.

A day earlier, Zelensky signed a major defense agreement with France for the delivery of up to 100 Rafale fighter jets, drones and other military equipment. Moscow condemned the accord as “fueling militaristic sentiment” and claimed it would not affect the battlefield.

The flurry of diplomatic activity signals Kyiv’s push to regain momentum at a time when the front line has remained largely static and political fatigue in parts of the West is growing.

Washington’s Mediation Efforts Face Limits

U.S. attempts to broker a settlement between Kyiv and Moscow earlier this year have not produced movement toward a ceasefire. A planned summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest collapsed after Washington concluded that Moscow would not accept a halt in fighting.

Kyiv, backed by its Western partners, has called for a ceasefire along current front lines. Russia continues to demand control over the entire Donbas region and has rejected Ukraine’s terms.

Despite these gaps, Zelensky hopes that coordinated pressure—sanctions, diplomatic channels and intensified humanitarian negotiations—can restart a dialogue that has remained largely frozen since summer.

Kyiv Independent, Turkish news sources

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