Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday he was ready to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin "personally" in Türkiye, following Donald Trump’s call for direct talks to test the possibility of peace.
The Kremlin did not immediately respond to Zelenskyy's offer and the Ukrainian leader did not say whether he would still attend if Russia refused a 30-day cease-fire proposed by Kyiv and its allies on Saturday.
Moscow and Kyiv have not held face-to-face negotiations since March 2022, shortly after the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February of that year.
"We await a full and lasting cease-fire, starting from tomorrow, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy," Zelenskyy said in a post on X.
"There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will be waiting for Putin in Turkiye on Thursday. Personally. I hope that this time the Russians will not look for excuses," he added.
In the early hours Sunday, Putin proposed to resume the talks between the two sides held in Istanbul in March 2022. But he did not respond to the 30-day cease-fire proposal put forward by Kyiv's allies.
U.S. President Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform earlier: "President Putin of Russia doesn't want to have a Cease Fire Agreement with Ukraine, but rather wants to meet on Thursday, in Turkey, to negotiate a possible end to the BLOODBATH."
"Ukraine should agree to this, IMMEDIATELY. At least they will be able to determine whether or not a deal is possible, and if it is not, European leaders, and the U.S., will know where everything stands, and can proceed accordingly!"
Kyiv and its Western allies have said an unconditional cease-fire to pause the fighting is the only way to advance a diplomatic solution in three-year war – Europe's worst since World War II.
Russia's assault has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people, the destruction of Ukrainian cities and a collapse in relations between Moscow and the West.
