---
title: "Ukraine's Zelenskiy plans Turkey visit to try to revive peace talks"
description: "President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he planned to go to Turkey on Wednesday in an attempt to revive talks with Russia on how to end the war in Ukraine."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-11-18-ukraines-zelenskiy-plans-turkey-visit-to-try-to-revive-peace-talks/"
published: "2025-11-18T11:36:11"
updated: "2025-11-18T11:36:13"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 164
---

# Ukraine's Zelenskiy plans Turkey visit to try to revive peace talks

> President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he planned to go to Turkey on Wednesday in an attempt to revive talks with Russia on how to end the war in Ukraine.

By Reuters · Published 18 November 2025, 13:36 SAST · Updated 18 November 2025, 13:36 SAST

## Key points
- As Ukraine gears up for another round of peace talks in Turkey, with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff in tow, Zelenskiy is determined to sprinkle some fresh ideas into a negotiation pot that's been simmering without a ceasefire for nearly four years.
- U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff set to join talks in Turkey aimed at reviving negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
- Ukrainian President Zelenskiy emphasizes the urgency of ending the war as he prepares for discussions in Turkey.
- No direct talks between Kyiv and Moscow since July, despite multiple rounds in Istanbul leading to prisoner exchanges.
- Efforts to restore prisoner exchanges are underway, but no significant progress towards a ceasefire has been achieved.

## Content

A Turkish source said that U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff would also visit Turkey on Wednesday and join the planned talks there with Zelenskiy.

"We are preparing to reinvigorate negotiations, and we have developed solutions that we will propose to our partners. Doing everything possible to bring the end of the war closer is Ukraine's top priority," Zelenskiy, who was visiting Spain on Tuesday, said about the meetings in Turkey.

No face-to-face talks have taken place between Kyiv and Moscow since they met in Istanbul in July.

Ukraine and Russia have held several rounds of talks in Istanbul that led to the exchange of thousands of prisoners of war and the remains of dead soldiers.

But the two sides have made no breakthrough towards a ceasefire or a settlement to end the war that is approaching its four year mark.

Zelenskiy said Kyiv was also working to restore exchanges of prisoners of war.

(Reporting by Anastasiia Malenko and Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Alison Williams)