November 2, 2026
Turkey is regaining its diplomatic presence as a potential mediator in the Ukrainian conflict, against the backdrop of ongoing efforts to arrange a direct summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, amid a clear discrepancy between Moscow and Kiev regarding the location of the meeting.
In this context, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed, in an interview with CNN Turk, that he was counting on the support of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to organize an upcoming meeting with Putin in Istanbul, pointing to Erdogan’s ongoing communication with the Russian leadership. Following his meeting with Erdogan in Istanbul on Saturday, Zelensky explained that Kiev supports holding the meeting on Turkish territory, considering the city a “practical and realistic mediator” to resolve the crisis.
On the other hand, Moscow adheres to its condition regarding the meeting place. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stressed the need for Zelensky to go to the Russian capital if he wanted to meet Putin, expressing his country’s readiness to provide the necessary security guarantees for his safety. This position comes in confirmation of the announcement by Russian Presidential Assistant, Yuri Ushakov, on October 27, that Putin renewed his invitation to Zelensky to visit Moscow – following talks he held with Finnish President Alexander Stubb and the Norwegian Prime Minister – stressing the Kremlin’s readiness to secure all security conditions and arrangements for holding the meeting.
On a parallel diplomatic track, preparations are underway to hold tripartite negotiations bringing together Russia, the United States, and Ukraine in the Emirati capital, Abu Dhabi, this November, as Ushakov indicated the start of coordination between Moscow and Washington to determine the exact date of the meeting.
The latest Ukrainian proposal re-highlights the pivotal role that Ankara seeks to play as a mediator between the two parties to the conflict, especially since Istanbul has previously hosted previous negotiating rounds between Moscow and Kiev. However, the gap remains wide between Kiev’s desire to hold the meeting in Turkey and Moscow’s insistence on holding it in the Russian capital, at a time when a final agreement regarding the time and place has not yet been announced.
Between the Turkish efforts and the preparations for the Abu Dhabi meeting, hopes of holding a direct summit between the two presidents remain subject to overcoming political complications and agreeing on an acceptable negotiating framework, while the final settlement of the war continues to collide with multiple obstacles.
