Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he is ready to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin “personally” in Istanbul on Thursday for talks over ending the war.
His post on X came shortly after Donald Trump demanded that Ukraine agree to Putin’s offer of direct talks between the two countries in Turkey.
“There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will be waiting for Putin in Türkiye on Thursday. Personally,” Zelensky wrote.
He had earlier said his country was open to talks with Russia, but only after a ceasefire was in place.
In his post on X, Zelensky said he hoped Russia would agree to the ceasefire before the talks.
“We await a full and lasting ceasefire, starting from tomorrow, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy,” he said.
Western powers called for a 30-day pause in fighting to begin on Monday after European leaders spearheading the so-called “coalition of the willing” met in Kyiv on Saturday.
Putin’s offer of direct talks followed that intervention.
On Sunday, Trump then posted on social media that Ukraine should agree to this “immediately,y” and it would provide clarity on whether there was a way to end the war.
