Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday, the 11th of May, that he was ready to meet Vladimir Putin in Turkey on Thursday after US President Donald Trump publicly ordered him to immediately accept the Kremlin leader’s proposal for direct talks, according to Reuters.
Direct talks between Ukraine and Russia in Turkey would be the first since the first months of the invasion in 2022.
However, it was far from clear whether Putin had in mind that he would attend in person. Putin and Zelenskyy have not met since December 2019 and make no secret of their contempt for each other.
“I will be expecting Putin in Turkey on Thursday. In person,” Zelenskyy wrote to X. “I hope that this time the Russians will not look for excuses.”
His chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, added on Telegram: “What about Putin? Is he afraid? We’ll see.”
The Ukrainian leader earlier on Sunday responded cautiously after the Russian president, in a nightly televised statement, proposed direct talks in Istanbul next Thursday, the 15th of May.
Putin’s suggestion came hours after major European powers demanded in Kyiv on Saturday that he agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire or face “massive” new sanctions, a position Trump had backed.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine was ready for talks if Moscow agreed to a 30-day ceasefire.
HOWEVER, TRUMP, WHO HAS THE POWER TO CONTINUE OR STOP WASHINGTON’S VITAL ARMS SUPPLIES TO UKRAINE, TOOK A DIFFERENT LINE.
“Russian President Putin is not willing to sign a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine, but rather will meet in Turkey on Thursday to negotiate a possible end to the bloody war. Ukraine should agree to this, IMMEDIATELY,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday.
“At least they will be able to tell if an agreement is possible, and if not, European leaders and the US will know how things are going and can act accordingly!”
Both Russia and Ukraine have courted Trump.
In February 2022, Putin launched a full-scale war in Ukraine, causing heavy losses and seriously damaging relations with the West. Despite Russia’s slow progress, the Kremlin has shown little willingness to compromise.
In his nightly address, Putin proposed “direct negotiations without preconditions”.
But almost immediately, senior Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov told reporters that the talks should take into account both the rejected draft 2022 peace programme and the current territorial situation.
This means that Russia wants Ukraine to remain neutral and accept Russian control over some territories in exchange for security guarantees. Ukraine argues that agreeing to the terms of the 2022 draft would be tantamount to capitulation.
In his speech, Putin rejected what he called an attempt to put forward “ultimatums” with regard to Western European and Ukrainian demands for a ceasefire from Monday. His foreign ministry stressed that the root causes of the conflict must be addressed before a ceasefire can be negotiated.
Although Russia rejected this, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine’s ceasefire plan as starting Monday was still on the table.
“We are waiting for a full and lasting ceasefire, which will start tomorrow, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy,” he wrote on X on Sunday.