Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Istanbul on Saturday, October 31, 2026, for talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with security in the Black Sea and the future of a new grain corridor at the centre of the agenda. The two leaders met at the Presidential Dolmabahce Office and later spoke at a joint news conference, where Erdogan urged both Russia and Ukraine to stop attacks on civilian ships.
Zelenskyy said he had arrived with his delegation for what he described as important talks, focused on strengthening the protection of his people, deepening the partnership between Kyiv and Ankara, and assessing diplomatic options for ending the war. He also said a significant part of the conversation focused on security in the Black Sea, where attacks on shipping have intensified in recent months.
Key Takeaways
- Zelenskyy and Erdogan met in Istanbul on October 31, 2026, to discuss Black Sea security and bilateral ties.
- The two leaders agreed to work on a new Black Sea grain corridor for safe navigation.
- Erdogan called attacks on civilian vessels unacceptable, whoever carries them out.
A grain corridor back on the agenda
At the joint news conference, Zelenskyy announced an agreement to work on a Black Sea grain corridor. “Today, I reached an agreement with President Erdogan to work on the Black Sea grain corridor,” he said, adding that the leaders had discussed ideas and proposals that could help. Erdogan said talks to restore safe navigation would continue.
Turkey helped establish the original Black Sea Grain Initiative in 2022, which allowed safe maritime exports of grain and fertilizer from Ukraine, and it has hosted several rounds of talks between Russia and Ukraine aimed at a lasting ceasefire. Erdogan pointed to those earlier talks as evidence that tangible results can be achieved through diplomacy, and he welcomed renewed momentum behind efforts to end the war, including an initiative led by United States President Donald Trump.
The renewed focus on a corridor comes as both Russia and Ukraine have stepped up attacks in the Black Sea in recent months, prompting Ankara to call in August for a moratorium on strikes against vessels after several incidents involving Turkish-flagged ships. The same day as the Istanbul meeting, United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there was growing international interest in a limited Black Sea ceasefire to secure grain and energy shipments by both countries.
We cannot accept these attacks under any circumstances, regardless of who carries them out or what justification is offered.
What the leaders said in Istanbul
Erdogan said attacks on civilian vessels were unacceptable, whoever carries them out, and he called on all parties to stop targeting ships in the Black Sea. Zelenskyy accused Russia of making the situation in the Black Sea difficult, and he thanked Erdogan for what he described as clear and meaningful cooperation and for Turkey’s readiness to support ideas that could bring real peace and security closer.
Zelenskyy described the meeting as substantive. Turkish Presidency Communications Director Burhanettin Duran said ahead of the talks that they would cover steps to further develop bilateral relations, with particular attention to the war in Ukraine and the security situation in the Black Sea. Zelenskyy was welcomed at the airport by Turkish National Defense Minister Yasar Guler, and the delegations included senior defence and intelligence officials from both sides.
Beyond the meeting with Erdogan, Zelenskyy was also scheduled to meet Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the Patriarchate in Istanbul’s Fener district, according to reports of his itinerary.
- Meeting: Zelenskyy and Erdogan held talks at the Dolmabahce Office in Istanbul on October 31, 2026.
- Agreement: The two leaders agreed to work on a new Black Sea grain corridor.
- Security warning: Erdogan urged Russia and Ukraine to stop attacks on civilian ships.
- Diplomacy: Zelenskyy discussed a possible Ukraine-United States-Russia meeting, including the option of holding it in Turkiye.
Diplomacy beyond Istanbul
The Istanbul talks also touched on the next steps in the wider diplomatic process. Zelenskyy said the leaders had discussed preparations for a trilateral format involving Ukraine, the United States and Russia, planned for the first half of November. He said the format had been discussed with Erdogan, along with other options, including involving Turkiye, Europe and other partners, and the possibility of holding a meeting in Turkiye.
That discussion follows earlier reporting that the next round of talks between Russia, Ukraine and the United States was planned to resume in November in the United Arab Emirates, and that Zelenskyy had previously said he hoped a trilateral meeting could take place between November 6 and November 10. An aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin was reported to have said consultations on trilateral talks would take place after November 4 and would depend on the battlefield situation and the general environment.
Erdogan also noted that he had spoken by phone with Trump on October 28 and had told the United States president that Turkiye was ready to join efforts to revive the diplomatic process. Turkey has repeatedly offered to help facilitate talks aimed at ending the war, which has now lasted more than four and a half years.
The Istanbul meeting sits alongside continuing fighting elsewhere in the war, including Ukraine’s resumed strikes on Russian refineries and the United States’ approval of Patriot missiles for Ukraine, which underline why the diplomatic track in Istanbul is being watched so closely. Earlier diplomatic speculation also included reports of a possible Trump-Putin-Zelenskyy meeting, a prospect that remains unconfirmed.
What to Watch Next
What to watch next is whether the work agreed in Istanbul on a Black Sea grain corridor produces concrete steps toward safe navigation, whether the trilateral format discussed by Zelenskyy and Erdogan takes shape in the first half of November, and whether attacks on civilian ships in the Black Sea ease after Erdogan’s public call on all parties to stop them. The answers to those questions, restated from the Istanbul talks themselves, will show whether this meeting was a step toward a corridor and a ceasefire, or only another round of discussion.