Zelensky Challenges Putin To Meet Face-to-Face In Istanbul To Discuss Ending Ukraine War

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced his readiness to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin “personally” in Istanbul on Thursday, May 15, for direct negotiations aimed at ending the ongoing war.

The announcement followed a call from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who urged Ukraine to accept Putin’s proposal for peace talks in Turkey.

“There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will be waiting for Putin in Türkiye on Thursday. Personally,” Zelensky wrote in a post.

Zelensky had previously stated that Ukraine would be open to negotiations with Russia, but only once a ceasefire had been established.

Western powers have called for a 30-day pause in fighting, starting Monday, following a summit in Kyiv with European leaders from the so-called “coalition of the willing.”

Putin extended the offer for direct talks after the summit, prompting former U.S. President Donald Trump to post on social media, urging Ukraine to agree “immediately” to the meeting. Trump added that such a step would help clarify whether a peace deal is possible. “Have the meeting, now!” he urged.

Zelensky responded by expressing hope that Russia would first agree to a ceasefire before any direct talks could take place. “We await a full and lasting ceasefire, starting from tomorrow, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy,” he said.

In a Saturday night address, Putin urged Ukraine to engage in “serious negotiations” regarding the conflict, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. He suggested that the talks could lead to a new truce but did not directly address the call for a 30-day ceasefire.

“This would be the first step towards a long-term, lasting peace, rather than a prologue to more armed hostilities,” Putin said, warning against renewed Ukrainian mobilization and Western military aid.

Russia has repeatedly insisted that any ceasefire must be contingent on a halt to Western military support for Ukraine.

On Saturday, Zelensky hosted a group of leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, France’s Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Friedrich Merz, and Poland’s Donald Tusk, in Kyiv. After their meeting, the leaders spoke with former U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss the proposed ceasefire.

Speaking to the BBC, Starmer noted that the U.S. president viewed the ceasefire proposal as a “demand that must be met.”

At a joint news conference with Zelensky, the leaders warned that “new and massive” sanctions would be imposed on Russia’s energy and banking sectors if Putin rejected the unconditional ceasefire, which would cover air, sea, and land operations.

The last direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine took place in Istanbul in March 2022, shortly after the invasion began. While both sides now appear open to returning to talks in principle, meaningful progress remains uncertain, as their positions continue to be deeply divided.