Zelenskyy says he’ll ‘personally’ wait for Putin in Türkiye

KYIV – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced he will “personally wait” for Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin in Türkiye on May 15 for peace negotiations.

“We await a full and lasting ceasefire, starting from tomorrow [May 12], to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy. There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will be waiting for Putin in Türkiye on Thursday. Personally. I hope that this time the Russians will not look for excuses,” Zelenskyy said.

His comments came in response to a statement by Putin on May 11, in which the Russian leader said he was prepared for “direct negotiations” in Istanbul.

“We propose to resume direct talks with the Kyiv regime on Thursday, May 15, in Istanbul, where they were previously interrupted,” Putin said.

However, the Kremlin has so far ignored Ukraine’s call for a 30-day ceasefire.

“Ukraine has long been proposing this [ceasefire], and so have our partners. The whole world is calling for it. We expect a clear response from Russia. Russia’s war will have to end eventually. The killing must stop. Ukrainian forces are prepared to respond in kind — to keep it fair,” Zelenskyy said.

The leaders of Germany, France, Britain, and Poland – known as the Coalition of the Willing – visited Kyiv on May 10, and demanded that Russia accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire. 

They warned that a refusal would trigger coordinated new sanctions from Europe and the U.S. Prior to the announcement, the leaders had a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told French President Emmanuel Macron in a phone conversation that Türkiye is ready to host peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.