Zelenskyy plots southern Europe tour, hopes Istanbul talks spark breakthrough

Following his participation in renewed peace talks in Istanbul, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is preparing for a diplomatic tour of several southern European nations, with Albania expected to be the next destination. Meetings with Albanian leaders are planned, as the country has been a vocal supporter of strengthening NATO’s eastern flank.

A visit to Rome is also under consideration, where Zelenskyy may attend the inauguration of the newly elected Pope Leo XIV. In an interview with a small group of journalists, including The Guardian, Zelenskyy emphasised that all plans remain tentative, given the fluid situation in Ukraine.

“I think it could happen on Sunday … If everything works out,” he said. “We don't know what this week will bring. We have come to the point where we don't know what will happen tomorrow.”

Zelenskyy confirmed that he would travel to Türkiye on May 15, regardless of whether Russian President Vladimir Putin decides to attend talks. He stated that he had arranged a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara, but would be ready to go to Istanbul at short notice should Putin arrive.

“If Putin does not arrive and plays games, it is the final point that he does not want to end the war,” Zelenskyy declared on May 13.

Zelenskyy’s decision to travel follows Putin’s unexpected late-night address from the Kremlin last week, in which the Russian president proposed direct negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul. In response, Zelenskyy publicly announced that he would be waiting for Putin in Türkiye on May 15.

Meanwhile, former US President Donald Trump, currently on a visit to Saudi Arabia, suggested the possibility of joining the talks in Istanbul. “I believe the two leaders are going to be there. I was thinking about flying over,” Trump said on Monday.

Zelenskyy expressed hope that Trump would follow through on that idea. “If Trump travels, it will push Putin also to travel,” he said. “Trump can really help. It’s the situation where the US being present can give important guarantees.”

Keith Kellogg, Trump’s envoy on Ukraine, echoed the idea of a three-way summit. “This could be a really great meeting … We hope that President Putin will also come, and then President Trump will be there,” Kellogg told Fox News.

According to reports, Kellogg is expected in Türkiye along with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff.

However, there is little indication that Putin is preparing to travel. While the Kremlin has not officially ruled it out, statements from Moscow suggest Russia will instead send a lower-level delegation to Istanbul.

“Our delegation will be there and will wait for the Ukrainian side,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov added that Moscow intended to use any potential negotiations to address what it sees as the “root causes” of the conflict, including the “denazification” of Ukraine and the formal annexation of occupied territories into the Russian Federation—an indication that the gap between the two sides remains wide.

By Tamilla Hasanova