Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul on Friday, ahead of the 500th day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and ahead of a crucial NATO summit, AFP reports.

“We need honesty in our relations” with the North Atlantic Alliance, Zelenskyy said on Thursday in Prague together with Czech President Petr Pavel. It is time to demonstrate “the courage and strength of this alliance,” he added, news.ro reports.

During this first visit to Turkey, the Ukrainian heads of state in February 2022, Zelenskyi and Erdogan will discuss, as reported by the pro-government newspaper Sabah, the agreement on the export of Ukrainian grain and Turkey signed in July 2022 under the auspices of the UN, but Russia “sees no reason” to continue it after the expiration date of July 17.

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For several months now, Moscow has been complaining that another bilateral agreement signed last July with the UN regarding the export of its fertilizers is not being implemented.

Zelensky’s visit to Turkey comes four days before the opening of NATO’s annual summit in Vilnius on July 11 and 12, and NATO leaders hope to persuade Ankara to lift its veto on Sweden’s entry.

On Thursday, Zelensky traveled to Prague after a visit to Bulgaria to discuss his country’s NATO membership and to demand faster arms deliveries amid Kyiv’s counteroffensive.

The Kyiv leader said that he wants Ukraine to receive a “clear signal” about joining NATO: “I believe that it is necessary to demonstrate the strength and unity of the Alliance,” he said.

Allies are still seeking common ground on the security guarantees they are willing to provide to Kyiv and Ukraine’s invitation to eventually join NATO.

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