Ukraine Asks Turkey to Broker Zelensky–Putin Meeting as Kyiv Courts New Security Partners

Overview

• Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Sunday that Ukraine asked Turkey to consider arranging a Zelensky–Putin meeting, possibly with Presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Donald Trump, after the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.
• Sybiha said Kyiv is ready for leader-level talks and asked Ankara to help move a peace process forward, noting that Putin has not made himself available.
• In more than a dozen meetings with African ministers, Sybiha raised intelligence reports that Russia is recruiting fighters across Africa and discussed ways to shut down those channels.
• Ukraine cast Turkey as the key partner to counter Russia’s naval dominance in the Black Sea and pressed for joint work in defense, energy, trade, and logistics.
• Sybiha reported record interest in meetings at the forum, describing Ukraine’s shift into a security provider role and a partner sought by countries in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.