Ukraine, Russia prepare for peace talks in Istanbul as Zelensky meets Erdogan in Ankara

Istanbul, May 16 (IANS) Ukrainian and Russian delegations were expected to meet for peace talks, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky prepared for a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara.

Upon arriving in Ankara on Thursday, Zelensky told reporters that Ukraine's delegation included top-level representatives from the Foreign Ministry, Defence Ministry, military, and intelligence agencies, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We have a top-level delegation," he said, although he noted that the composition of the Russian delegation had not yet been officially communicated.

Zelensky also emphasised that decisions on the next steps in the negotiation process would be made after his discussions with Erdogan.

"We need to understand what level of the Russian delegation (we're dealing with) and what mandate they have," he said.

The talks followed a proposal from Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday to resume direct negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15.

Zelensky confirmed his participation and expressed hope of meeting with Putin, but the Russian leader has yet to show up.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump, speaking in Doha, Qatar on Thursday, said he might attend the talks in Istanbul on Friday.

"If something (a development) happens and it's appropriate, I might go on Friday," he said.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was in Antalya for a NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting, said Trump supports any initiative that could bring about a just peace.

"There is no military solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict," Rubio said.

"We want to see progress made in the coming days."

Earlier on Thursday, Zelensky and Erdogan held a nearly three-hour closed-door meeting in the Turkish capital, ahead of the planned peace talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegates in Istanbul.

Zelensky previously met Erdogan in Ankara in February, during which the two leaders reportedly discussed Turkey's potential participation in a peacekeeping force after a ceasefire.

Erdogan has maintained close ties with both Kyiv and Moscow during the full-scale war, positioning Turkey as a mediator in the war.

In 2022, Istanbul hosted the unsuccessful -- and so far, the only -- direct peace talks between Ukraine and Russia since the full-scale invasion.

Turkey also helped to broker a Black Sea grain deal that allowed safe maritime shipment until Russia pulled out of the agreement in 2023.

--IANS

int/khz