Putin unlikely to attend peace talks in Istanbul, Ukraine's MFA says
Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he will personally wait for Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin to attend peace talks in Istanbul. However, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha expressed doubts that the Russian president would dare to come.
"This is what a true leader does. He does not hide behind anyone or anything. It is highly unlikely that the Russian side possesses even a sliver of such courage," Ukraine's Foreign Minister wrote on X.
Background
On Saturday, Ukraine, the United States, and the Coalition of the Willing proposed a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire starting Monday, May 12. In effect, Putin was given an ultimatum: agree to a ceasefire or face new sanctions.
But overnight, the Kremlin leader issued a statement that ignored the proposed 30-day ceasefire altogether. Instead, he suggested resuming direct talks with Ukraine on May 15 in Istanbul.
Later in the day, European leaders, US Special Envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg, and a number of other officials said that a ceasefire must come first, followed by negotiations.
Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held talks with Putin about the possibility of hosting negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul. It was later confirmed that Erdoğan is willing to provide a platform for talks, but he holds the same position: ceasefire first, then negotiations.
Just a few hours ago, US President Donald Trump said Ukraine should immediately agree to negotiations in Istanbul. In response, Zelenskyy wrote on X that Ukraine expects a ceasefire to begin tomorrow — and that he will personally wait for Putin in Istanbul on May 15.
