Zelensky Sets Conditions for Direct Talks with Putin in Turkey

By Staff, Agencies

Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky stated he is ready to personally meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Turkey on Thursday but only if Moscow first agrees to a truce.

His statement came in response to Russia’s proposal to begin peace talks without pre-conditions.

“I will be waiting for Putin in Turkey on Thursday. Personally,” Zelensky wrote in a post on X on Sunday. He still maintained that Kiev awaits “a full and lasting ceasefire, starting from tomorrow, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy.”

The Ukrainian leader also stated that he expected Moscow not to look for “excuses” this time.

On Saturday, the Russian president offered Kiev the opportunity to restart direct negotiations in Istanbul, which it unilaterally walked away from in 2022. Moscow was ready to return to the negotiating table without any preconditions, the Russian leader said at the time.

Russia has repeatedly stated that it was ready for peace talks at any time. It also maintained that it was seeking a lasting solution to the conflict rather than a temporary one. It opposed Kiev’s 30-day truce demand on the grounds that Ukraine would use it to rearm and regroup its military.

Zelensky issued a similar demand on Saturday following a meeting with a group of European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. They also supported Kiev’s demand that Russia agree to a truce. 

US President Donald Trump also expressed his hope that Moscow and Kiev could soon agree to a month-long truce. He also warned that “the US and its partners will impose further sanctions” if an agreement is reached but not respected.