Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has extended an offer to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin face-to-face in Turkey on Thursday, May 15, following a proposal by the Kremlin to resume peace talks between the two nations.
This development comes after a proposal from Kyiv and its Western allies for a 30-day ceasefire to help facilitate diplomatic discussions, which Putin has not yet responded to.
In a statement posted on social media, Zelensky expressed his readiness to meet Putin personally in Turkey, emphasizing the urgent need for a full and lasting ceasefire to end the ongoing conflict.
“We await a full and lasting ceasefire, starting from tomorrow, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter), underscoring the importance of halting the violence.
“There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will be waiting for Putin in Turkiye on Thursday. Personally. I hope that this time the Russians will not look for excuses,” Zelensky added.
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people and the destruction of Ukrainian cities.
Diplomatic efforts have largely stalled since March 2022, with no direct talks between the two sides for over a year. The last round of negotiations in Istanbul produced a peace proposal that was later abandoned, and since then, dialogue has been limited to exchanges of prisoners of war and deceased soldiers.
In the early hours of Sunday, May 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin put forward a proposal to resume peace talks, suggesting that negotiations be held in Istanbul once again, without preconditions.
Putin’s suggestion was a direct response to Zelensky’s offer, though he did not address the call for a 30-day ceasefire. “We propose to the Kyiv authorities to resume the talks that they broke off in 2022, and, I emphasize, without any preconditions,” Putin said.
He indicated that a ceasefire could potentially be agreed upon during these talks, but added that Ukraine’s Western allies appeared determined to continue the war, which he described as a bloodbath.
Putin’s proposal was met with resistance from Kyiv and its Western partners. During a visit to Kyiv on Saturday, May 10, the leaders of France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Poland jointly urged Russia to accept an unconditional ceasefire, which they believe is a necessary step to pave the way for successful negotiations.
French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated this stance, stressing the “necessity” of a ceasefire before any further talks could take place.
Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, confirmed that Ukraine would only engage in direct negotiations with Russia if Moscow agreed to a ceasefire starting from Monday, May 12, in line with the proposal from Kyiv’s allies.
Macron’s office further emphasized this position, calling for an end to hostilities before any diplomatic discussions could resume.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump, in support of a potential ceasefire, called for immediate talks, posting on his social media platform, Truth Social, that direct negotiations were needed to determine whether peace was achievable.
“Ukraine should agree to this, IMMEDIATELY,” Trump wrote, suggesting that it would allow the international community to gauge where the parties stood in the conflict.
As tensions remain high and the international community watches closely, the next few days could prove pivotal in determining whether peace talks between Ukraine and Russia can resume, or if the conflict will continue to escalate.
