Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will make a working visit to Türkiye on October 31 at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Burhanettin Duran, head of the Communications Directorate of the Presidency of Türkiye, announced this.
According to Duran, the talks in Istanbul will address steps to further develop bilateral cooperation, as well as regional and international issues, particularly the Russia-Ukraine war and the security situation in the Black Sea. The Ukrainian side has not yet officially commented on the visit.

The Black Sea and attacks on energy infrastructure
The visit comes amid a new wave of attacks on energy infrastructure. On the morning of October 30, drones attacked the Novokuibyshevsk oil refinery in the Samara region, while Russia’s Defense Ministry reported strikes on energy facilities in Ukraine.
Ankara stresses that it strictly observes the Montreux Convention, which restricts the passage of warships through the straits, and maintains contacts with both sides of the conflict to prevent the war from spreading to the Black Sea.
Türkiye as a venue for negotiations
Zelenskyy and Erdoğan last met in Istanbul in April 2026. On September 23, the Ukrainian president said he would support a trilateral meeting at the leaders’ level in Türkiye if Erdoğan managed to organize it. Istanbul had previously hosted direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations.
On October 28, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Zelenskyy could meet with him directly in Moscow.