Zelensky challenges Putin to meet with him face to face in Istanbul to discuss ending Ukraine war

 Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky says he is prepared to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin “personally” in Istanbul on Thursday, May 15, for direct talks aimed at ending the war.

 

His announcement came shortly after former U.S. President Donald Trump urged Ukraine to accept Putin’s proposal for talks in Turkey.

 

“There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will be waiting for Putin in Türkiye on Thursday. Personally,” Zelensky wrote in a post.

 

Zelensky had previously stated that Ukraine was open to negotiations with Russia, but only after a ceasefire was implemented.

 

Western powers have called for a 30-day pause in fighting beginning Monday. The appeal followed a summit in Kyiv involving European leaders from the so-called “coalition of the willing.”

Putin extended the offer for direct talks after the summit. Trump then posted on social media, saying Ukraine should agree “immediately” to the meeting, adding it would clarify whether a peace deal is achievable. “Have the meeting, now!” he urged.

Zelensky responded by expressing hope that Russia would first agree to a ceasefire. “We await a full and lasting ceasefire, starting from tomorrow, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy,” he said.

 

In a Saturday night address, Putin called on Ukraine to join “serious negotiations” over the conflict, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. He suggested the talks could lead to a new truce but did not directly address the call for a 30-day ceasefire.

 

“This would be the first step towards a long-term, lasting peace, rather than a prologue to more armed hostilities,” Putin said, warning against renewed Ukrainian mobilization and Western military aid.

Russia has repeatedly insisted that any ceasefire must be preceded by a halt to Western military support for Ukraine.

 

On Saturday, Zelensky hosted leaders including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, France’s Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Friedrich Merz, and Poland’s Donald Tusk in Kyiv. After the meeting, the leaders spoke with Trump to discuss the ceasefire proposal.

 

Speaking to the BBC, Starmer said the U.S. president viewed the proposed ceasefire as a “demand that must be met.” 

 

At a joint news conference with Zelensky, the leaders warned that “new and massive” sanctions would be imposed on Russia’s energy and banking sectors if Putin rejected the unconditional ceasefire—covering air, sea, and land.

 

The last direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine took place in Istanbul in March 2022, shortly after the invasion began. While both sides now appear willing to return to talks in principle, meaningful progress remains uncertain, as their positions remain deeply divided.