Turkey is preparing to host the third international gathering of national security advisers working to build support for a peace summit Ukraine wants to hold later this year, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
The meeting is tentatively scheduled for later this month in Istanbul, according to the people who spoke on condition of anonymity to share information about the plans for the summit. It follows similar gatherings in Denmark in June and in Saudi Arabia in August. Participants will discuss ideas for reaching a lasting peace in Ukraine.
A limited number of officials are expected to participate in the meeting, including US officials, if the meeting comes together, two of the people said. The White House hasn’t determined exactly who will participate.
Russia is not invited and has denounced the previous meetings as illegitimate.
White House spokespeople declined to comment.
Ukrainian and allied officials have sought to persuade countries that have stayed mostly neutral toward Russia’s invasion, such as Brazil and India, to side against Moscow. Allies see the meetings as an opportunity for Ukraine to explain its case directly with those nations.
On the agenda is Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s peace plan and the Ukrainian president’s efforts to hold a global summit on the proposals later this year. Zelenskiy’s 10-point blueprint calls for Russian troops to withdraw completely from Ukraine, and also covers topics such as ensuring food security and nuclear safety.
The gathering comes as Ukraine’s counteroffensive has been making slow progress against Russian forces. At the same time, concerns about political support in the US for continued aid have surged after the funding was left out of a stopgap budget plan passed over the weekend.