As part of a weekend-long exchange of ideas on the next stages in the U.S.-led peace endeavor, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet with him in person in Turkey on Thursday.
After U.S. President Donald Trump insisted Ukraine accept Russia’s most recent offer to hold direct negotiations in Turkey on Thursday, Zelensky stated that he still wants for a truce with Russia to begin on Monday and that he will “be waiting for Putin” in Turkey “personally.”
Before beginning talks, Ukraine and its European allies had requested that Russia agree an unconditional 30-day truce beginning Monday. Moscow essentially rejected the plan and insisted on direct discussions.
There was no immediate Kremlin response regarding Putin’s plans to travel to Turkey, and it was unclear if Zelensky was predicating his visit on the truce holding on Monday.
After being repeatedly denied a personal meeting with the Russian president in the early months of 2022, Zelensky issued an order stating that negotiations with Putin were no longer possible.
“We look forward to a comprehensive and long-lasting truce, beginning tomorrow, to give diplomacy the foundation it needs. There is no need to continue the murders. And on Thursday, I’ll be in Turkey, waiting for Putin. For myself. “Hopefully, the Russians won’t try to find an excuse this time,” Zelensky posted on X on Sunday.
Trump stated earlier Sunday on social media that Ukraine should accept Putin’s offer of peace negotiations “IMMEDIATELY.”
“They will at least be able to assess whether a deal is feasible, and if not, the U.S. and European leaders will be aware of the current situation and can take appropriate action.” In addition, Trump wrote: “HAVE THE MEETING, NOW!!!”
Following their meeting with Zelensky in Kyiv on Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk jointly called for a 30-day truce that would begin on Monday. Trump and the European Union have both endorsed the concept.
Ukraine was charged by the Russian Defense Ministry on Sunday with more than 14,000 “violations” of Moscow’s three-day truce. In addition to accusing Russia of breaking its own truce, Ukraine, which rejected the ceasefire agreement reached on May 8–10, has called it a farce.
On Sunday night, a Russian official also charged Ukrainian forces with carrying out a missile strike on a village in the Ukrainian-bordering Kursk area of Russia. The strike “seriously damaged” a hotel in Rylsk, a town east of the Ukrainian border, and injured three people, acting governor Alexander Khinshtein stated on Telegram.
Source: Associate Press
