President Zelensky has announced his readiness to meet President Putin in Turkey after US President Donald Trump publicly asked the Ukrainian leader to immediately accept a direct negotiation proposal from the Russian leader, Reuters reported.
Mr Zelensky's proposal for a meeting with Mr Putin ended a dramatic 48-hour period, in which European leaders and Mr Zelensky called for a 30-day ceasefire from May 12.
However, it is still unclear whether President Putin intends to attend the meeting in person. Mr. Putin and Mr. Zelensky have not met since December 2019.
"I will wait for Mr. Putin in Turkey on May 15. Me personally" - the Ukrainian leader shared on social network X.
President Zelensky also said that Ukraine is ready for negotiations if Russia agrees to a 30-day ceasefire.
On May 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a proposal for direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15 without precondition.
President Putin's proposal comes hours after European powers demanded on May 10 that Russia agree to a 30-day unconditional ceasefire or face new tough sanctions. This is the stance supported by President Trump's special adviser to Ukraine Keith Kellogg.
On May 11, TASS reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin had a detailed discussion with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Putin about the initiative to resume direct talks between Moscow and Kiev.
The Kremlin's statement after the phone call stated: "The parties discussed in detail the Russian President's initiative to resume direct talks between Russia and Ukraine scheduled to take place in Istanbul from May 15".
According to the Kremlin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Putin fully supported the initiative of his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to resume direct talks between Moscow and Kiev, while pledging to provide a location in Istanbul and provide all possible support.
"Türkiye will provide all possible support in organizing and conducting negotiations to achieve sustainable peace," the statement said.
