The special representative of US President Donald Trump Steve Witkoff will arrive in Istanbul on November 19 to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
This is reported by Reuters Moscow bureau chief Guy Faulconbridge, citing a Turkish source.
On the morning of November 18, Zelensky reported that he would hold meetings in Turkey the next day. They are to discuss the intensification of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, and Ukraine will offer its partners "developed solutions". They will also work to resume prisoner exchanges.
Earlier, in an evening address on November 16, Zelensky reported work on a new start to negotiations and the resumption of exchanges.
Negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in 2025
On May 16, the first direct talks between Ukraine and Russia since 2022 were held in Istanbul. The meeting lasted a little over an hour. According to journalists, Russia demanded the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from a number of territories to ensure a ceasefire, and threatened to occupy the Kharkiv and Sumy regions.
The Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov reported that at the meeting, the Ukrainian and Russian sides discussed a prisoner exchange in the "1000 for 1000" format and a ceasefire. The parties reached an agreement on the exchange — three prisoner exchanges in this format have already taken place.
On May 19, Trump spoke with Putin, as well as with Zelensky and a number of European leaders. Putin said after the conversation that he was ready to work on a memorandum with Ukraine that includes a ceasefire. Trump says that Russia and Ukraine “will immediately begin negotiations on a ceasefire and, more importantly, an end to the war”.
The next round of talks took place on June 2, lasting just over an hour. They agreed on a major prisoner exchange.
For more news and in-depth stories from Ukraine, please follow us on X.