Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Turkey on Thursday, following his challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet personally. Zelenskyy expressed hope for a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia starting Monday. He emphasized that he would be “waiting for Putin” in Turkey after US President Donald Trump urged Ukraine to accept Russia’s offer to hold direct talks in the country.
Ukraine, alongside European allies, had called for Russia to accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire before the talks. However, Moscow rejected the proposal and instead called for direct negotiations. It was unclear whether Zelenskyy’s attendance in Turkey was contingent upon the ceasefire holding, and there was no immediate response from the Kremlin about whether Putin would attend.
Earlier in 2022, Zelenskyy had repeatedly called for a personal meeting with Putin but was rebuffed. Eventually, he declared that negotiations with the Russian president had become impossible.
On Sunday, Zelenskyy wrote on X, “We await a full and lasting ceasefire, starting from tomorrow, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy. There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will be waiting for Putin in Turkey on Thursday. Personally. I hope that this time the Russians will not look for excuses.”
