Zelensky pleads with Erdogan to stop Russia after Turkish tanker explodes under Ukraine’s watch

Turkey just delivered one of the most consequential diplomatic signals of the war as President Erdogan publicly revived the stalled Istanbul peace track—while Zelensky arrived shaken by Russia’s deadliest overnight barrage in months. Behind closed doors, both leaders discussed ceasefire frameworks, prisoner swaps, Black Sea security, and a mysterious new cooperation plan that could alter the region’s balance. But Zelensky’s harrowing account of 476 drones and missiles hitting Ukraine adds urgency—and raises a chilling question: is Ankara stepping into a role the West has failed to fill?