Kremlin officials have remained silent, while lower-ranking figures dismiss the proposed meeting. Putin initially proposed renewed Istanbul talks on 11 May.
"Turkey's decision to close the straits prevented Russia from leveraging its maritime superiority to seize Odesa, Mykolaiv ... through operations from the sea," Ambassador Bodnar stated.
In Istanbul, the RMK Marine shipyard hosted the launch of Ukraine's second Ada-class corvette, "Hetman Ivan Vyhovskyi" (F-212), attended by prominent Ukrainian officials.
In coordinated action with G7 partners, the UK announced 50 new sanctions designations and specifications targeting the Russian "shadow fleet," financial institutions, and military suppliers to weaken Russia's ability to fund his war in Ukraine.
In response to maritime safety concerns in the Black Sea amid Russia's war against Ukraine, three NATO allies have established a Mine Countermeasures Task Group to tackle the drifting sea mines.
"Türkiye's mediation is crucial for the release of Crimean Tatars and all others – adults and children, military and civilians, held in Russian captivity," Zelenskyy said.
"We are grateful to Türkiye for supporting Ukraine from the first day of the full-scale invasion in ensuring the Black Sea's security. We invite Türkiye to join the Maritime Coalition," Umerov stated.
Reportedly, from February to July 2023, Russia exported approximately 160,400 tons of coal from the temporarily occupied Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts of Ukraine to Turkey.
The Russian and Turkish Presidents held a phone call, discussing Putin's visit to Turkey. Erdoğan also emphasized the importance of restarting the deal to prevent global food shortages.