In Ankara, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with President of the Republic of Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan one-on-one and in an extended format.
The President of Ukraine thanked the President of Türkiye for organizing the opportunity for direct negotiations with the Russian Federation and for supporting a full and unconditional ceasefire, the achievement of a lasting and sustainable peace, and the importance of security guarantees.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that he arrived in Türkiye accompanied by a high-level Ukrainian delegation, while the Russian Federation’s delegation consisted of individuals who lack any mandate to make decisions. The Head of State underscored that, through this move, Russia once again demonstrated that it’s not committed to ending the war and showed disrespect toward both Türkiye and the United States. Ukraine expects a strong response from its partners.
At the same time, in order not to lose even a fragile opportunity for negotiations, the President of Ukraine decided to send to İstanbul a Ukrainian delegation, which would be led by Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov.
The meeting also addressed cooperation within the Coalition of the Willing and the implementation of the developed proposals. The President of Ukraine thanked Türkiye for its readiness to ensure the monitoring of the ceasefire, particularly at sea.
The two Presidents discussed in detail the issue of further security guarantees, particularly regarding civilian navigation in the Black Sea. Special attention was given to maritime demining as part of the efforts of Ukraine, Türkiye, Bulgaria, and Romania.
Among other important topics discussed were the reconstruction of Ukraine and the potential involvement of Turkish companies in this process. The Heads of State also paid special attention to preparations for the Ukraine Recovery Conference, which will be held on July 10–11 in Rome. Türkiye will be represented.
In addition, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan discussed the development of bilateral cooperation between the two states, particularly in the defense sector.
