Zelenskiy arrives in Istanbul for substantive talks with President Erdogan, aimed at strengthening security cooperation, advancing a ceasefire, and seeking a lasting settlement in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Erdogan underscores Turkey’s priorities on Black Sea navigation security and energy supply security, with discussions including joint gas infrastructure projects and potential development of gas fields.

The Istanbul talks followed a phone exchange between Erdogan and Putin, where they urged a ceasefire in the Middle East and debated Black Sea security amid Russia’s accusations of attacks on oil tankers and gas infrastructure linking Russia to Turkey.

Russia continues targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure, with Naftogaz reporting more than 40 attacks on oil, gas, and energy facilities so far this year, including a fire in Poltava.

Casualties and damage mount on multiple fronts from drone and missile strikes in Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, and Luhansk, while Ukrainian forces hit positions in Russian-occupied areas and drone facilities in various regions.

The broader war context shows Russia repeatedly strikes Ukrainian energy infrastructure causing outages and heating disruptions, with Ukraine also targeting Russian energy assets as part of its strategy.

Peace negotiations mediated by the United States have stalled, with past efforts in Geneva and Florida tri-party talks failing to bridge gaps, and Russia’s maximal Donbas demands remaining unresolved.

Russia reiterates that Ukraine must withdraw from Donbas as part of any peace deal, while discussions among Medvedev and others touch on NATO, EU, and US participation and shifting European defense alignments.

Zelensky urges Parliament to pass key reforms quickly to avert a funding shortfall, with Ukraine’s external financing needs estimated around $52 billion for the year.

Ahead of Istanbul, Kyiv offered Middle Eastern states help counter Iranian-made drones, leveraging Ukraine’s experience in countering these threats due to Russia’s use of Iranian drones.

Zelensky has previously toured Gulf states offering technology to counter drone threats, signaling a broader regional security outreach.

Ukraine has signed security agreements with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar and is negotiating further pacts with other Middle Eastern partners to counter Iranian drones.