Zelensky is challenging Putin to meet him after Trump has demanded Ukraine talks Russia

Ukrainian President Folodimir Zelinski says he is ready to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin “personally” in Istanbul on Thursday for talks about ending the war.

His position on X came shortly after Donald Trump’s demand for Ukraine’s approval of Putin’s offer to direct talks between the two countries in Türkiye.

“There is no benefit in prolonging the killings. I will wait for Putin in Torke on Thursday. Personally,” Zelinski wrote.

He had said earlier that his country was open to talks with Russia, but only after a ceasefire.

Western powers He called for a temporary stop for 30 days in the fighting to start on Monday After leading European leaders who lead the so -called “coalition from those who wish”, he met in Kiev on Saturday.

Putin’s offer to direct conversations follow this intervention.

On Sunday, Trump posted on social media that Ukraine should agree to this “immediately” and will provide clear whether there is a way to end the war.

“At least they will be able to determine whether the deal is possible or not, and if not, the European leaders, and the United States will know where everything stands, and they can move forward accordingly,” he said, adding: “Get together, now!”

In his position in X, Zelensky said he hoped Russia will agree to a ceasefire before the talks.

“We are waiting for a full and permanent ceasefire, starting from tomorrow, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy,” he said.

In a late night speech on Saturday, Putin called Ukraine to participate in “serious negotiations” on the war, which began to invade Russia on a large scale for Ukraine in 2022.

Putin said he could not “exclude” the possibility that the talks would lead to Russia and Ukraine’s agreement to a “new truce” – but it did not take calls for a ceasefire for 30 days directly.

The Russian leader said: “This will be the first step towards a long -term and lasting peace, instead of a more than armed combat actions after the Ukrainian armed forces obtained arms and new employees, after the frantic trench was liberated and new leadership publications were liberated.”

Moscow has already said that before Russia could think of a ceasefire, the West must first stop its military aid to Ukraine.

On Saturday, the Ukrainian President played a host in Kiev for the UK Prime Minister Sir Kerr Starmer, Emmanuel Macron from France, Faridrich Mirz and Germany Donald Tusk, who later called Trump to discuss their plan.

Sir Kerr later told the BBC that the US President was “completely clear” that their immediate ceasefire proposal was “the demand that must be fulfilled.”

When they appear at a press conference with Zelensky, they warned that the new “sanctions” “will be imposed on energy and banking sectors in Russia that Putin would not agree to an unconditional ceasefire for 30 days” in the air, at sea and on the ground.

Russia and Ukraine held the latest direct negotiations in March 2022 in Istanbul, shortly after Moscow launched its invasion.

After more than three years, both sides, in principle, agreed to resume negotiations. But the conversations and the deal are very different. Both sides seem to keep their red lines, and they are always as far apart.