Zelensky arrives in Istanbul for talks with Erdoğan, Black Sea shipping on the agenda

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Istanbul on 31 October together with a Ukrainian delegation. He is due to hold talks there with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

According to Zelensky, there are important issues concerning shipping in the Black Sea. The visit programme also includes a meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I.

Footage released shows the Ukrainian President being welcomed by Turkish officials at the airport after stepping off his plane.

The visit is taking place at Erdoğan's invitation. A day earlier, it was announced that the Russia–Ukraine war and Black Sea security would be discussed at the meeting.

The visit comes against the backdrop of overnight Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy facilities. The Ukrainian side said that on the night to 31 October Russia again attacked energy facilities in the Dnipropetrovsk region and that energy equipment was seriously damaged.

Türkiye has mediated between the sides during the war. In March 2022, talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations were held in Istanbul. On 22 July of that year, the Black Sea Grain Initiative was signed in Istanbul with the mediation of the UN and Türkiye; Russia withdrew from the deal in July 2023.

Between May and July 2025, three rounds of direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations were held in Istanbul, resulting in prisoner exchanges.