In addition to stating that he would be in Turkey to “personally” engage with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy expressed his hope that a complete and temporary truce with Russia would begin on Monday.
He made these remarks after U.S. President Donald Trump urged Ukraine to accept Russia’s most recent offer of direct negotiations in Turkey on Thursday. Before beginning negotiations, Ukraine and its European partners had insisted that Russia agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire that would start on Monday.
It was unclear whether Zelensky was tying his stay in Turkey to the truce holding on Monday. Zelensky praised Russia’s offer of direct peace talks earlier in the day, but he maintained that a complete, short-term ceasefire must be established before discussions can begin.
Zelensky’s remarks were delivered just hours after Putin essentially turned down a ceasefire proposal from Ukraine and its European allies the previous day. In response, Putin suggested resuming direct negotiations with Ukraine to reach a truce.
In a Washington-led attempt to put an end to the war in Ukraine, which is currently in its fourth year, the suggestions seemed to leave Kyiv and Moscow at a standstill over what to do next.
US President Donald Trump had pledged during his campaign to end the conflict immediately, but his administration recently hinted that it would abandon the peace effort if no real progress was made.
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