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Direct talks: I’ll be waiting for Putin in Istanbul on Thursday — Zelenskyy

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he will be waiting for Russian President, Vladimir Putin at Istanbul for direct talk starting on Monday.

He mentioned, “I will be waiting for Putin” in Turkiye, referring to the Russian president’s invitation for direct peace talks in Istanbul.

On Sunday, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine’s proposal for a ceasefire beginning on Monday is still available, and that Kyiv is awaiting a response from Russia.

Zelenskyy, writing on X on Sunday, said it was a “positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war” and “the entire world has been waiting for this for a very long time”.

He added, however, that “the very first step in truly ending any war is a ceasefire”, in a reference to his proposal to start a 30-day unconditional truce on Monday.

“There is no point in continuing the killing even for a single day. We expect Russia to confirm a ceasefire – full, lasting, and reliable – starting tomorrow, May 12th, and Ukraine is ready to meet,” Zelenskyy wrote.

The post read: “Starting tomorrow, we await a ceasefire — this proposal is on the table. A full and unconditional ceasefire, one that lasts long enough to provide a necessary foundation for diplomacy, could significantly bring peace closer. Ukraine has long proposed this, our partners are proposing it, and the whole world is calling for it. We await a clear response from Russia.

“Russia will have to end this war anyway. The killings must stop. Ukrainian forces will be ready to respond symmetrically— to ensure fairness. We have repeatedly heard from our partners that they are prepared to strengthen sanctions against Russia if Putin rejects a ceasefire. Time will tell.

“Here in Ukraine, we have absolutely no problem engaging in negotiations, we are ready for any format. I will be in Türkiye this Thursday, May 15, and I expect Putin to come to Türkiye as well. Personally. And I hope that this time, Putin won’t be looking for excuses as to why he “can’t” make it.

“We are ready to talk, to end this war. Thursday. Türkiye. President Trump has expressed support. All the leaders support this.”

President Putin had rejected the ceasefire offer and instead proposed resuming direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on Thursday “without preconditions.”

He mentioned that a ceasefire might be agreed upon during the negotiations.

On Sunday, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social: “President Putin of Russia doesn’t want to have a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine; he prefers to meet on Thursday in Turkey to negotiate a possible end to the bloodbath. Ukraine should agree to this immediately.”

Trump added, “At least they will be able to determine whether a deal is possible. If not, European leaders and the U.S. will know where things stand and can proceed accordingly!”

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