Zelensky says he is ready to meet Putin in Turkey, rules out recognising occupied land

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he is prepared to sit down with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Turkey to discuss a path to peace. He made the remark in an interview with CNN Turk that was published on Nov. 1, according to The Kyiv Independent.

Zelensky described a face-to-face meeting between the two leaders as essential. He also said Turkey could serve as a practical and realistic mediator in any future negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv, the outlet reported.

Technical talks come first

The comments precede expected technical-level discussions among Ukraine, Russia and the United States in Abu Dhabi later in November. Zelensky said those meetings would concentrate on the possibility of a partial ceasefire covering energy infrastructure and maritime activity, as well as on swaps of captives.

A summit of leaders would follow, he said, and would deal with how to reach a full ceasefire and what security guarantees Ukraine would receive. According to The Kyiv Independent, Kyiv hopes the technical round will open the way to such a summit, probably with U.S. President Donald Trump taking part, because it regards that format as crucial for settling questions of territory.

No recognition of occupied land

Zelensky ruled out formally recognising occupied territories as part of Russia. He argued that a ceasefire should be set along the present front lines as the first step before broader negotiations, the outlet said.

The position collides with Moscow’s demands. The Kyiv Independent noted that Russia insists Ukraine give up Donbas, a strategically important eastern region that Russian forces only partly control. That demand is among the reasons the peace process effectively stalled earlier this year, as Washington now tries to bring the talks back to life.

Turkey’s role

Zelensky met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul on Oct. 31. The two discussed bilateral ties and security in the Black Sea, according to the newspaper.

Ankara has kept a careful balance between the two warring sides, the outlet noted, preserving economic links with Russia while supplying weapons to Ukraine. Turkey played a central part in creating the Black Sea Grain Initiative in 2022, which allowed grain to be shipped safely by sea until Moscow withdrew a year later. It also hosted three rounds of talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations in 2025.

The Kremlin, by contrast, has long steered clear of a direct encounter between the two presidents, proposing a telephone call instead, The Kyiv Independent reported, citing its own information.

What happens next

Whether Putin will accept any meeting in Turkey remains unclear; the outlet carried no Russian response to Zelensky’s statement. The immediate test is the Abu Dhabi round expected later this month, where the sides are due to examine partial ceasefires and prisoner exchanges. A leaders’ summit, in Turkey or elsewhere, would depend on how that round goes and on whether Moscow and Kyiv can narrow their gap over territory.