Zelensky Agrees to Meet with Putin in Turkey on Thursday

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed on Sunday to meet face-to-face with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Turkey.

Putin initially proposed the Thursday meeting this weekend, and President Donald Trump prompted Zelenskyy to accept the offer. Putin said the talks in Istanbul must be held without preconditions and with the goal of lasting peace.

"We await a full and lasting ceasefire, starting from tomorrow, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy. There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will be waiting for Putin in Türkiye on Thursday. Personally. I hope that this time the Russians will not look for excuses," Zelenskyy wrote.

Trump encouraged Zelenskyy to accept Putin's meeting earlier on Sunday. Ukraine and Russia are currently under a ceasefire marking the anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe.

"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," Trump wrote on social media. "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!"

"I’m starting to doubt that Ukraine will make a deal with Putin, who’s too busy celebrating the Victory of World War ll, which could not have been won (not even close!) without the United States of America. HAVE THE MEETING, NOW!!!" he added.

Putin has thus far offered few, if any, concessions but is now saying talks should address the root causes of the war.

He said he would speak to Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan later on Sunday about facilitating the negotiations, which he said could result in a ceasefire.

"Our proposal, as they say, is on the table," Putin said. "The decision is now up to the Ukrainian authorities and their curators, who are guided, it seems, by their personal political ambitions, and not by the interests of their peoples."

Putin's proposal for direct talks came hours after European leaders demanded on Saturday in Kyiv that the Russian president agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire or face new sanctions. But Putin dismissed attempts by some European powers to issue what he described as "ultimatums."

The Russian leader said he does not rule out that Moscow and Kyiv will agree on "some new truces, a new ceasefire" during negotiations in Turkey, saying that the talks would be the first step toward a "sustainable" peace.