Zelenskyy declares readiness to meet with Putin in Türkiye
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (photo: Getty Images)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that he is ready to hold a personal meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Türkiye. The main goal is a ceasefire along the entire front line, according to CNN Türk.
Zelenskyy hopes that Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan will facilitate negotiations with Putin in Türkiye.
The Ukrainian president considers dialogue at the highest level "necessary," as previous contacts between the parties have not yet helped to end the war.
Zelenskyy stated that they were ready to hold the meeting in Türkiye. He added that he knew President Erdogan had his own channels of communication with Putin, which was why Ukraine supported holding the meeting in Türkiye.
According to the head of state, direct negotiations between the presidents could help find solutions to issues that remain unresolved at the level of delegations and technical groups.
Zelenskyy noted that this was precisely why he wanted to meet with him in his capacity as the decision-maker.
Among the key topics of a potential meeting with Putin, the Ukrainian leader cited a ceasefire along the front line and the establishment of a mechanism to monitor compliance with the agreements.
Furthermore, at the presidential level, he believes that issues of security guarantees and the reconstruction of Ukraine and its territories should be addressed.
At the same time, Zelenskyy assured that he would not agree to Putin’s demands regarding the handover of Donbas and the recognition of Crimea as Russian. He explained that such concessions would contradict the Constitution of Ukraine.
Incidentally, the Kremlin stated the day before that Putin might answer a call from Zelenskyy.
However, the Office of the President of Ukraine stated that Zelenskyy currently has no plans to call Putin.
