Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met in Istanbul on Oct. 31, with Zelenskyy raising Black Sea shipping as one issue for discussion amid Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Türkiye’s Directorate of Communications said the meeting took place at the Dolmabahçe Presidential Office. In an Oct. 30 announcement, the directorate said Erdoğan had invited Zelenskyy for a working visit. Its planned agenda included cooperation between the two countries and regional and international affairs, with a focus on the war and Black Sea security. EconoTimes had previewed the Oct. 31 Istanbul meeting.
Zelenskyy said in a post on X after arriving with his team that the discussions would address protecting people, the countries’ partnership and diplomatic prospects. He wrote, “There are important issues concerning shipping in the Black Sea.”
Separately, the United Nations (U.N.) says Russia, Türkiye, Ukraine and the U.N. launched the Black Sea Grain Initiative in Istanbul on July 22, 2022. It created procedures for moving grain, other food and fertilizer by sea from designated Ukrainian ports. The U.N. said the arrangement was not renewed after its third term ended July 17, 2023.
Anadolu Agency reported that it had no additional details about the leaders’ meeting at the time of publication.
