Zelensky says he 'will be waiting for Putin in Turkey

Negotiations to end war may start in Istanbul on Thursday

- FOREIGN STAFF

Volodymyr Zelensky responded guardedly yesterday to a proposal from Vladimir Putin of rapid direct talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, saying Kyiv was willing to talk.

“ I will be waiting for Putin in Türkiye on Thursday,” he said on X/Twitter.

The Russian president made his proposal in a 1.30am televised statement from the Kremlin that coincided with prime time in the US, where president Donald Trump has been pressing both sides to agree to a truce of at least 30 days and stop the threeyear-old war.

Mr Trump, who says he wants to be remembered as a peacemaker and has repeatedly promised to end the war, called it “a potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine!” However, Mr Putin suggested that any ceasefire was a matter for the talks he proposed to take place in Istanbul on Thursday.

And minutes later, senior Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters the talks must take into account both an abandoned 2022 draft peace deal and the current situation on the ground – shorthand for Kyiv agreeing to permanent neutrality in return for a security guarantee and accepting that Russia controls swathes of Ukraine.

The US president demanded that Ukrainian officials “immediately” agree to meet with their Russian counterparts to negotiate a possible end to the “bloodbath” war waged on the country by Putin.

Mr Trump was responding to the Russian leader’s proposal on Sunday for the meeting in Istanbul.

In a post on Truth Social, the president wrote: “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.”

He continued: “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!”