Zelensky to meet Erdoğan in Ankara on Tuesday

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to travel to Turkey on Tuesday for talks with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a spokesman for the Turkish presidency has said.

The two leaders will discuss current regional and global developments, Fahrettin Altun, head of media and communications, posted on the social media platform X.

The presidential office in Kiev has confirmed the visit.

It comes as Zelensky is touring the Middle East to shore up support for Ukraine, as the US looks increasingly ready to enter bilateral negotiations with Russia to end the war launched by Moscow almost three years ago.

The Ukrainian president met the president of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in Abu Dhabi on Monday and also plans to visit Saudi Arabia, where US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minster Sergei Lavrov are set to meet for talks on Tuesday.

No representatives of Ukraine or the European Union are expected to participate in the meeting in Saudi Arabia.

In Riyadh and Ankara, Zelensky mainly plans to discuss economic issues, as well as security in the Black Sea region, deputy presidential spokesman Ihor Brusylo said on Ukrainian television.