Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will visit Turkey on February 18 for talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the capital Ankara, the presidency said.

The two leaders will discuss steps to "further strengthen cooperation between the two countries," Erdogan's chief press adviser Fahrettin Altun wrote on X.

Zelensky will fly to Ankara from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where he landed on February 16 for talks on economic cooperation.

He will travel to Saudi Arabia on 19 November, AFP reported.

This will be the Ukrainian president's third visit to Turkey since Russian troops invaded Ukraine nearly three years ago. He last visited the country in March 2024.

NATO member Turkey has sought to maintain good relations with its troubled Black Sea neighbours. Erdogan presents himself as a key mediator and possible peacemaker between the two countries.

Ankara has provided drones to Ukraine but has refrained from Western-led sanctions against Moscow.

Zelensky's visit to Turkey comes on the same day that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet with U.S. officials in Riyadh as part of the Kremlin's efforts to restore ties with Washington.

U.S. and Russian officials are preparing for a summit between their leaders, and Europe and Kiev fear they will try to end the war in Ukraine without them. | BGNES