Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to visit Istanbul on Friday on the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to discuss the latest war developments as well as the Black Sea grain initiative.

The two leaders will hold bilateral as well as inter-delegation talks.

The grain agreement, which matters in the fight against world hunger, is set to expire on July 17.

A year ago Türkiye, the U.N., Russia and Ukraine signed an agreement in Istanbul to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports which had been paused after the Russia-Ukraine war broke out that February. A Joint Coordination Center with officials from the three countries and the U.N. was set up in Istanbul to oversee the shipments.

Russian officials have strongly hinted that this month they could block the extension of the deal, complaining that parts of the deal to allow Russian exports have gone unfulfilled.

Türkiye is one of the most active countries working to ensure a permanent cease-fire between Ukraine and Russia. The country's delicately balanced act of assuming a mediator role by keeping communication channels with both warring sides open provides a glimmer of hope in diplomatic efforts to find a solution and achieve peace in the Ukraine crisis.

In a breakthrough, Russian and Ukrainian delegations met for peace talks in Istanbul last year. Türkiye also hosted the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers in Antalya the same year.