Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to expand security cooperation during a two-hour meeting at Istanbul's Dolmabahce Palace on Saturday, with Ukraine positioned to share defense expertise gained from its ongoing conflict with Russia.
The agreement centers on Ukrainian contributions to Turkish security capabilities, particularly in areas where Ukraine has developed specialized knowledge through wartime experience. Both leaders indicated their teams would finalize operational details within days.
We agreed on new steps in cooperation in the security sphere. This primarily concerns areas where we can support Turkey: expertise, technologies and experience. There is a fundamental political readiness to work together, and our teams will finalize the details in the coming days.
Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukrainian President — TASS English
The timing proves significant given Ukraine's recent offer to help Persian Gulf and Middle Eastern nations defend against Iranian drones. Ukraine has accumulated extensive experience countering Iranian-designed unmanned aerial vehicles that Russia deploys regularly in its attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure.
Energy cooperation emerged as another focal point, with both leaders discussing joint gas infrastructure projects and potential co-development of gas fields. This represents a complex dynamic given Turkey's continued reliance on Russian gas imports through the TurkStream pipeline.
TASS frames the meeting as routine diplomatic engagement while emphasizing Putin's recent conversation with Erdogan and Russia's accusations about Ukrainian attacks on gas infrastructure. The Russian perspective highlights Turkey's continued role as mediator while subtly reinforcing Moscow's narrative about Ukrainian aggression against energy assets.