Ukraine Seeks Bigger Turkish and European Role in Peace Efforts and Black Sea Grain Corridor
After talks in Türkiye, President Volodymyr Zelensky says Kyiv and Ankara will work together on the Black Sea grain corridor and on bringing Turkey and European partners more directly into efforts to end Russia’s war.
Ukraine is trying to widen the circle of states involved in both peace efforts and Black Sea shipping by deepening coordination with Türkiye and seeking a more direct European role.
After meeting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Türkiye, President Volodymyr Zelensky said the two leaders agreed to work together on restoring the Black Sea grain corridor. He said Ukraine and Turkey had agreed to cooperate on reviving safe grain exports and that Kyiv wants Turkey and European states more directly involved in efforts to end Russia’s war.
Zelensky proposed holding trilateral negotiations in Turkey with participation from European partners and other international actors. Kyiv portrays Türkiye as a key partner with access to both Ukraine and Russia and as a venue for such talks.
Zelensky described Ukraine and Türkiye as “natural allies in defense and the defense industry” and said he was sure this cooperation would grow stronger, including through new joint industrial and economic projects. Turkish President Erdoğan said he believes Turkish companies that have stayed in Ukraine during the war will go on to make significant contributions to Ukraine’s reconstruction.
Zelensky said Türkiye consistently supports Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and steps to ensure safe navigation in the Black Sea and restore normal living conditions in the region. He said he and Erdoğan discussed new ideas and proposals on these issues.
The diplomatic push is unfolding as Ukraine deals with continued attacks at home. An air‑raid alert was declared over Kyiv and several regions because of the threat from drones. Officials reported that a woman was wounded in Kyiv’s Obolon district when debris fell on a shopping centre. Ukraine has also called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting after lethal Russian attacks on Dnipro, Chernihiv and Kremenchuk.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking separately, underlined how difficult any settlement will be. He said he doesn’t know if negotiated peace in Ukraine is achievable and that no one is claiming a negotiated settlement is near. Rubio called the conflict a very deadly and destructive war, pointing to nightly Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure and saying that about 20,000 Russian soldiers are being killed each month.
These two tracks—Kyiv’s attempt to build new diplomatic formats around Türkiye and Europe, and senior U.S. officials’ caution about the chances for peace—frame the current phase of the conflict.
Signals to watch include whether Turkey can actually convene the trilateral negotiations Zelensky has proposed, how Russia responds to joint Ukrainian‑Turkish work on the Black Sea grain corridor, and whether the UN Security Council meeting leads to any concrete steps on Ukrainian civilian protection or critical infrastructure.
Sources
- OSINT