Turkey to host third Ukraine peace summit in Istanbul

Turkey is preparing to host a third international summit aimed at ending the war in Ukraine following two previous gatherings in Denmark and Saudi Arabia earlier this year.

The summit, which is expected to be held in Istanbul this month according to Bloomberg, will see national security advisers, including those from the US, discuss plans for a peace deal to end the war between Ukraine and Russia.

One such plan comes from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has proposed a 10-point blueprint that consists of a complete withdrawal of the Russian military from Ukraine and the restoration of international borders, as well as nuclear, energy, and food security.

Ukrainian officials are also attempting to use the international meetings as a platform to launch a global summit to discuss the peace plan. The proposed summit is aimed to be held later in the year.

As well as discussing Zelensky's plan, Western allies are also looking to win the support of non-aligned countries such as Brazil and India in backing the Ukrainian peace proposals.

The move is part of a broader initiative to gain the backing of the Global South, including China, for a peace settlement.

Indian, Brazilian and Chinese representatives attended a similar summit in Saudi Arabia in August, although there is uncertainty about whether Beijing officials will attend the meeting in Istanbul.

The diplomatic initiative comes off the heels of Ukraine’s slow summer offensive which has seen heavy fighting in the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine.

Fighting has also been heavy in the Donbas area, and Ukraine has been increasing its strikes deep behind the frontlines, including in Russian-held Crimea where Ukraine hit the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet in September.