In his message, Zelensky noted: “Tomorrow we will hold meetings in Turkey. We are preparing to activate the negotiation process and we have certain solutions that we will propose to our partners. Our main goal is to expedite the end of the war. We are also continuing work on resuming exchanges and returning prisoners.”
According to information provided by Reuters, a representative of U.S. President Donald Trump, Stephen Witkoff, will also meet with Zelensky in Turkey tomorrow.
At this time, Russia has not made any official statements regarding its participation in the negotiations.
On the evening of November 15, Rustem Umerov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, reported that on the president's instructions, he held consultations through intermediaries in Turkey and the UAE regarding the resumption of prisoner exchanges with Russia. He noted that the parties agreed to activate the agreements reached in Istanbul, concerning the release of 1,200 Ukrainian citizens. However, the details of the discussions remain unknown.
The last round of negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations took place in Istanbul at the end of July, marking the third meeting since the resumption of contacts in the spring of 2025.
