Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has extended an invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin for a face-to-face meeting in Turkey this Thursday, expressing willingness to personally engage in peace talks if Moscow is ready to commit to a ceasefire.
Zelensky’s offer came after US President Donald Trump urged direct negotiations to assess the potential for ending the war, now in its third year. In a message posted on X (formerly Twitter), Zelensky reiterated Kyiv’s demand for a 30-day ceasefire starting Monday, calling it a necessary foundation for diplomacy.
“We await a full and lasting ceasefire, starting from tomorrow, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy,” Zelensky wrote. “There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will be waiting for Putin in Turkey on Thursday. Personally. I hope this time the Russians will not look for excuses.”
The Kremlin has not yet officially responded to Zelensky’s invitation, nor to the ceasefire plan proposed by Ukraine and its Western allies on Saturday. Russia and Ukraine have not held in-person negotiations since March 2022, shortly after the war began.
Earlier on Sunday, President Putin suggested restarting the Istanbul peace talks that had collapsed two years ago, though he dismissed Western calls for a preconditioned ceasefire. “We propose to the Kyiv authorities to resume the talks they abandoned in 2022, without any preconditions,” Putin said, adding that Russia is prepared to meet in Istanbul on Thursday.
He also said a new ceasefire might emerge from those discussions, but criticised what he described as Western “ultimatums” and “anti-Russian rhetoric”.
Trump, posting on his Truth Social platform, urged Ukraine to agree to talks with Putin immediately. “Ukraine should agree to this, IMMEDIATELY,” he wrote. “At least they will be able to determine whether or not a deal is possible, and if it is not, European leaders, and the U.S., will know where everything stands.”
Meanwhile, the leaders of France, the UK, Germany, and Poland visited Kyiv on Saturday to push for an unconditional ceasefire as the starting point for any peace talks. Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, also hinted that Ukraine would only engage in negotiations if the ceasefire is observed from Monday.
French President Emmanuel Macron echoed that position, with the Élysée Palace emphasising the “necessity” of halting hostilities before any dialogue resumes.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who hosted the failed Istanbul talks in 2022, said Ankara was once again ready to facilitate negotiations “aimed at achieving a lasting solution”.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz described Russia’s latest proposal as a “positive sign”, but said it remained “far from sufficient” without an accompanying ceasefire.
The conflict, Europe’s most devastating since the Second World War, has left tens of thousands dead and devastated vast swathes of Ukraine. With communication between the two sides largely limited to prisoner and casualty exchanges, Thursday’s proposed meeting could represent the most significant diplomatic opening in over two years—if it goes ahead.
