US special envoy Steve Witkoff is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Wednesday. President Zelensky has expressed a desire to “intensify” peace negotiations. He emphasized that ending the war is Ukraine’s primary focus and mentioned plans to resume prisoner exchanges.
Turkey has retained relations with both Ukraine and Russia and has previously facilitated talks between the two sides. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that no Russian representative would attend the discussions in Ankara. Peskov also noted that, although there are “no concrete plans” for Russian President Vladimir Putin to engage in talks, he remains “open to a conversation.”
This meeting in Ankara marks the fourth capital Zelensky has visited in a short span; he has recently engaged in discussions in Athens, Paris, and Madrid to strengthen European support for Ukraine amid ongoing Russian military operations, particularly near the eastern city of Pokrovsk.
Domestically, Zelensky faces serious challenges, including investigations into members of his administration for alleged involvement in a criminal scheme and the resignation of two ministers. This scandal has raised concerns among some EU leaders regarding Ukraine’s corruption issues, particularly as they prepare to consider unblocking a €140 billion loan tied to Russian state assets.
As the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion approaches, differences persist between Moscow and Kyiv regarding potential resolutions to the conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov recently reiterated that Russia’s peace conditions remain unchanged since 2024, which include demanding Ukraine abandon any NATO ambitions and withdraw from several contested regions.
Zelensky has consistently argued that abandoning territories in the Donbas region would expose the remainder of Ukraine to future threats. Witkoff’s previous meetings with Putin indicated that the resolution of territorial disputes, including Crimea, is crucial for a peace agreement, a notion that Zelensky has contested as promoting Russian perspectives. Despite high-level discussions in the past, American efforts to facilitate a ceasefire have not progressed significantly. Nonetheless, low-profile communications between US and Russian officials have continued.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c620p6jnynko?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss