Not peace talks with Russia: Zelenskyy explains what’s being prepared in Türkiye
Photo: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
In Türkiye, a meeting of representatives from the Coalition of the Willing is underway to discuss security in the Black Sea. Military representatives from Ukraine, France, the United Kingdom, and Türkiye are participating in the talks, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Odesa.
He said the meeting will last two days — April 15 and 16.
"Military officials are meeting in Türkiye to discuss Black Sea security. This primarily concerns the Coalition of the Willing and corresponding steps. There have already been many such meetings where various formats of the coalition and its capabilities regarding Black Sea security are being discussed. During these two days, this is being discussed at the site of our Turkish colleagues, they invited us,” Zelenskyy explained.
The President added that representatives from Europe are also participating, similar to the summit in Paris, namely the UK, France, Ukraine, and the host country, Türkiye.
"They are discussing security in the Black Sea. Peace talks and our security guarantees are entirely different matters. Security guarantees are the issue of the contingent in Ukraine. The presence of Western partners in the sky, at sea and on the ground. This is a Coalition of the Willing - a working title,” he said.
Zelenskyy emphasized that Türkiye could play a significant role in future Black Sea security guarantees.
"This isn’t about ending the war, it’s about what happens after a ceasefire. Security guarantees for Ukraine after a ceasefire. A key element of those guarantees is a military presence. What’s being discussed now is their presence in the Black Sea. And that’s important for everyone - for Odesa, Mykolaiv, for port infrastructure, for the grain corridor. We're talking about the safety of maritime navigation,” the President explained.
He stressed that what is being discussed in Türkiye is not a peace initiative or negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
"The Russians still don’t want negotiations. We are talking about security guarantees," Zelenskyy added.
It’s worth noting that earlier, Turkish media reported that delegations from Ukraine and Russia were expected to meet in Ankara in the coming days to discuss a possible ceasefire in the Black Sea.
Coalition of the Willing
A meeting of the Coalition of the Willing was recently held in Kyiv. The coalition was announced in March by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The purpose of the coalition is to strengthen European support for Ukraine, create the basis for a peaceful settlement and the participation of allies in this process against the backdrop of unstable US policy on the Ukrainian issue. In particular, it is about sending a military contingent to Ukraine after the end of the war.
On April 5, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke about the foreign contingent in Ukraine and said that “tangible progress” had been made in this regard.
According to RBC-Ukraine, 5-6 countries are currently considering sending their military to Ukraine. Among them are the UK and France.
