Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet “personally” in Turkey on Sunday, Zelenskyy said, adding that he hopes Russia’s war on Ukraine would end completely on Monday.
Zelenskyy’s comments followed Putin’s media appearances overnight. In them, Putin essentially disregarded the ceasefire proposal put out by Western leaders and suggested that direct negotiations with Ukraine be resumed “without preconditions” in Istanbul on Thursday. Putin did not say if he and Zelenskyy would meet in person for the discussions on Thursday.
But “the very first step in truly ending any war is a ceasefire,” he stressed. “There is no need to continue with the murders, not even for a day. Ukraine is prepared to meet with Russia whenever it confirms a complete, enduring, and dependable ceasefire beginning tomorrow, May 12th,” the Ukrainian leader stated on X.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk met with Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Saturday in a synchronised appeal for a 30-day truce beginning Monday. Both Washington and the European Union have endorsed the approach.
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