Officials from several countries, including US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, are expected to travel to Istanbul for talks. Russia has not been invited to the meeting, and it is still unknown if China will send a representative, sources said. On the agenda is Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s peace plan and Kiev’s proposal to hold a global summit this year to discuss the plan.

US officials said Wednesday that it will transfer thousands of seized Iranian weapons and rounds of ammunition to Ukraine.  The ammunition was seized last December from a vessel allegedly shipping weapons from Iran to Yemen. Ukraine’s navy said that 12 more vessels were ready to enter a Black Sea shipping corridor on their way to Ukrainian ports.  

It said it is trying to ensure the safety of civilian ships in its territorial waters and the 12 ships are currently entering the territorial waters of Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey.