Selenskyj arrives in Turkey for talks
Published: Friday, Mar 8th 2024, 13:30
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi has traveled to Turkey for talks with his counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Zelenskyi landed in Istanbul on Friday, as reported by the state news agency Anadolu. According to the presidential office in Ankara, the main topic will be the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Ways to achieve "permanent peace in the region" are to be discussed.
The president's office in Kiev confirmed the visit and the talks for a possible peace solution. The planned peace summit in Switzerland, the safety of shipping in the Black Sea and the release of Ukrainian prisoners of war were named as priorities from the Ukrainian perspective.
Selensky also visited a shipyard with warships under construction for the Ukrainian navy. Two corvettes are under construction at a shipyard in Istanbul. These include the new flagship "Hetman Iwan Masepa", which is due to be completed this year. Further meetings with representatives of the Turkish defense industry are planned.
Ankara also intends to discuss the continuation of the so-called grain agreement, the statement continued. This involves Russian security guarantees for Ukrainian grain exports via the Black Sea. Turkey and the United Nations brokered the deal.
However, after the agreement expired last summer, Kiev established its own corridor along the coastline through which freighters can safely call at Ukrainian ports. The Russian Black Sea fleet had previously been pushed out of the western part of the Black Sea, mainly by naval drone attacks. According to Kiev, sea exports from the three ports around the southern Ukrainian city of Odessa had already returned to pre-war levels in January.
Ukraine has been resisting the Russian invasion for over two years with Western help. Turkey served as a venue for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine after the start of the war. Ankara recently renewed its offer to stand ready for peace talks. At the same time, however, Turkey is also supporting Kiev with arms deliveries. Ukraine currently needs artillery shells in particular.
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