A senior Turkish official announced in advance of the meeting that the presidents of Ukraine and Turkey would discuss the prospective extension of the Black Sea grain agreement and the possibility of a prisoner exchange between Moscow and Kyiv on Friday.
Zelenskiy and Erdogan to Discuss Grain Deal: Following trips to Bulgaria and the Czech Republic, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will meet Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul as part of a tour of some NATO capitals designed to persuade them to take decisive action at a summit next week in favour of granting Kyiv membership in the alliance.
The future of a treaty, mediated by Turkey and the UN last year to enable for the safe transport of grain from Ukrainian ports across the Black Sea despite the war raging throughout Ukraine, will be a significant topic of Zelenskiy’s negotiations in Istanbul.
Russia has issued a warning, expressing its opposition to allowing any further extension of the grain deal beyond July 17 due to its dissatisfaction with certain aspects of its implementation.
Erdogan and Zelenskiy would also talk about efforts to put an end to the war in Ukraine, the senior Turkish official said, in addition to the grain agreement and a potential prisoner swap.
Turkey, a NATO member, has maintained friendly ties with both Russia and Ukraine over the course of the war’s 16-month duration, and last year it assisted in arranging prisoner swaps.
While Turkey has supported Ukraine with weaponry and emphasized the need to respect its sovereignty, it has refrained from joining its Western partners in imposing economic penalties on Russia.
A press conference with Erdogan and Zelenskiy is scheduled for Friday at 1800 GMT.
Erdogan might call Russian President Vladimir Putin after his talks with Zelenskiy, the Turkish official suggested. The official also mentioned that a Turkish minister might travel to Moscow for additional talks.