Ankara, Turkiye – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is set to visit Turkiye on Friday to discuss the Black Sea grain deal and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine with President Tayyip Erdogan, according to Turkiye’s state-run Anadolu Agency.
The grain deal, brokered by Turkiye and the United Nations last year, enables the export of agricultural products from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports despite the war. However, Russia has expressed dissatisfaction with certain aspects of the deal and has threatened to prevent its renewal after July 17.
Zelenskiy and Erdogan will engage in face-to-face talks and participate in inter-delegation meetings, as reported by Anadolu.
Erdogan, who was recently re-elected for another five-year term, has been keen on maintaining strong relations with both Kiev and Moscow since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
While Turkiye, as a NATO member, has refrained from imposing economic sanctions on Russia, it has supplied arms to Ukraine and called for the respect of its sovereignty.
The upcoming meeting between Zelenskiy and Erdogan is expected to address the grain deal’s future and the latest developments in the Ukrainian conflict, underscoring Turkiye’s diplomatic efforts to balance its relationships with key regional players.
