Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reiterated his intention to engage in direct talks with Vladimir Putin in Turkey on Thursday, albeit with minimal optimism regarding the Russian leader’s attendance. This summit would represent the first face-to-face meeting between the two leaders since Russia commenced its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. During a meeting with select journalists, including representatives from Bloomberg News in Kyiv on Tuesday, Zelenskyy stated that the primary goal of the talks would be to establish a ceasefire, allowing technical teams to devise a strategy for implementing and monitoring the agreement.
On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that he might travel to Turkey to participate in the potential Zelenskyy-Putin discussions. However, Zelenskyy warned that if Putin does not show up, the summit would lose its significance, especially following a previous meeting between lower-level officials in Saudi Arabia in March that yielded no progress. “Trump needs to believe that Putin is lying,” he emphasized, stressing that Ukraine is not the party hindering peace negotiations.
Zelenskyy expressed his belief that President Trump is “not against” enacting further economic sanctions on Russia, highlighting a political willingness within Congress to pass a new sanctions bill. He indicated that additional consultations concerning sanctions would take place in the coming days, though he refrained from divulging specifics. Bloomberg News has reported that the Trump administration has prepared options to increase economic pressure on Russia.
The Ukrainian leader characterized the forthcoming U.S. sanctions package against Russia as “strong and very dangerous.” He mentioned that Trump did not oppose his proposal to send military aid to Ukraine aimed at encouraging the Russians to cease hostilities. If the leaders’ meeting occurs, Zelenskyy pledged that Ukraine would make every effort to secure a ceasefire agreement, emphasizing that no alternative formats for discussions were on the table.
Zelenskyy is set to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Thursday. Should Putin attend, both leaders plan to travel to Istanbul together. Moscow has indicated its readiness for serious discussions in Istanbul, as noted by Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, although he did not confirm whether Putin would be present.
“If Putin fails to attend, it will mark a conclusive statement and show that Russia is not prepared to end the war,” Zelenskyy remarked, adding that he anticipates robust sanctions from both the U.S. and the European Union, particularly targeting the energy and banking sectors.
Original Source: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/russia-ukraine-war-zelenskyy-ready-to-meet-putin-in-turkey-for-peace-talks-8409677#publisher=newsstand
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Publish Date: 2025-05-14 11:09:00
