Ukraine's Zelenskiy in Istanbul for security talks with Erdogan

Ukrainian president says boosting partnerships to protect lives stability ensuring security in Europe and Middle East

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has arrived ​in Istanbul for "substantive" talks on security issues with ‌Turkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Zelenskiy said on Saturday.

"We are working to strengthen our partnership ​to ensure real protection of people’s ​lives, advance stability and guarantee security ⁠in our Europe, as well as ​in the Middle East," Zelenskiy wrote ​on X.

Arrived in Istanbul, where important meetings are scheduled. Substantive talks have been prepared with the President of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

We are working to strengthen our partnership to ensure real protection of people’s lives, advance stability and guarantee… pic.twitter.com/SsAeVbetMT

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 4, 2026

He did not elaborate further on the subject of the talks. Ukraine has recently ​signed security co-operation agreements with Saudi ​Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, and says it ‌is ⁠in talks with several other Middle Eastern states about similar arrangements.

Read More: Ukraine, UAE agree to cooperate on defence: Zelensky

After the outbreak of war in the Middle East, ​Ukraine has ​sought to ⁠leverage its counter-drone experience acquired during its four-year-long war against ​Russia.

Moscow has long deployed Iranian-designed ​drones ⁠to strike Ukraine since its February 2022 invasion.

Zelenskiy's spokesman told reporters that Zelenskiy would ⁠meet ​Patriarch Bartholomew, the most ​senior cleric in the Orthodox Church.