Ukraine’s Zelenskiy Insists on Face-to-Face Talks with Putin in Istanbul
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will only attend talks on Ukraine if Russia’s Vladimir Putin is also there, the Ukrainian leader’s top aide said on Tuesday, challenging the Kremlin to show it is genuine about seeking peace.
US President Donald Trump has offered to attend Thursday’s proposed meeting in Istanbul, which has become the focus of his attempts to end the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War Two. Putin has yet to say if he will take part.
Both Russia and Ukraine have sought to show they are working towards peace after Trump prioritized ending the war, but they have yet to agree any clear path.
Putin on Sunday proposed direct talks with Ukraine after ignoring a Ukrainian proposal for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire. Trump then publicly told Zelenskiy to accept.
“President Zelenskiy will not meet with any other Russian representative in Istanbul, except Putin,” Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak told Reuters.
His chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said Zelenskiy’s trip to Türkiye showed Kyiv was ready for talks but repeated Ukraine’s stance that any negotiations must come after a ceasefire.
