Ukraine’s Zelenskiy to visit Turkey on Friday, Turkish presidency says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will visit Turkey on Friday and meet Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish Presidency said.

In a post on social media platform X, the Turkish Presidency said leaders will discuss the course of the Ukraine-Russia war, the Black Sea grain deal and bilateral relations.

Russia withdrew in July from the deal, which had allowed Ukraine to safely export grain from its Black Sea ports, saying its demands for better terms for its own food and fertiliser exports were being ignored.

Ankara has sought to persuade Russia to return to the Black Sea Grain Initiative – brokered by Turkey and the United Nations. Russia has said it was not interested in reviving it.

NATO member Turkey shares a maritime border with Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea and has aimed to maintain good ties with both amid the war. It has provided military support for Kyiv and voiced support for its territorial integrity, while opposing the sanctions on Russia.