Tue Nov 18 15:00:00 UTC 2025: News Article:

Zelenskyy Seeks to Revive Peace Talks in Turkiye, But Moscow Refuses to Participate

Ankara, Turkiye – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is reportedly in Turkiye this week seeking to reignite peace negotiations to end the ongoing war with Russia, now in its second year. Zelenskyy hinted at new solutions to propose to partners during a tour of European allies to discuss support early this week, while news agencies have reported that Zelenskyy is expected to meet with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara.

While Zelenskyy aims to bring the US back into active engagement in peace efforts, the Kremlin has stated that no Russian representatives will attend the reported meeting on November 19th. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said President Vladimir Putin remains open to discussions with the US and Turkiye on the potential outcomes of the talks, but for now Russia will await information on what is actually discussed in Istanbul.

Past talks between Ukraine and Russia, mediated by the US and Turkiye in Istanbul, have yielded minimal progress, primarily facilitating prisoner exchanges. Zelenskyy emphasized his administration’s ongoing efforts to secure the release of prisoners of war.

Zelenskyy’s diplomatic push comes amidst increased Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure and Ukrainian strikes on Russian-occupied territories. Ukraine has concentrated fire on Russia’s lucrative oil industry, as well as energy systems.

Prior to his trip to Turkiye, Zelenskyy visited Spain and France to secure continued support, including air defenses and fighter jets. The agreement with France has drawn criticism from Moscow, who stated that Paris “is in no way contributing to peace, but rather fuelling militaristic and pro-war sentiment”.

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