Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on May 11 that he is prepared to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Turkey on May 15.
"There is no point in prolonging the killings. I will wait for Putin on Thursday in Turkey," Zelensky stated.
As Ukraine's allies continue to push for direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, Putin has rejected a call for an immediate ceasefire, instead proposing peace talks to begin in Istanbul on May 15.
"We expect a ceasefire starting tomorrow — a complete and lasting one — to provide a necessary foundation for diplomacy," Zelensky added.
U.S. President Donald Trump has urged both sides to initiate peace talks "immediately," though efforts by the White House so far have failed to establish a ceasefire.
"I hope the Russians don't find excuses to avoid this," Zelensky remarked.
Kyiv has expressed willingness to negotiate but insists that any talks must begin with a full cessation of hostilities.
The Kremlin has not shown signs of willingness to move forward with a peace agreement. Russian authorities have laid out maximalist demands in ceasefire negotiations, which have been mediated by the U.S.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected the idea of a 30-day ceasefire between the two countries, stating on May 10 that such a pause would be "an advantage" for Ukraine.
Ukraine had previously agreed to a U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire on March 11, expressing readiness to proceed if Russia agreed to the same terms. Moscow has yet to accept the offer.
Zelensky has repeatedly called for a full 30-day ceasefire, emphasizing the need for an "immediate, full, and unconditional" halt to the fighting, most recently on April 23.
In a landmark meeting on May 10 in Kyiv, Ukraine and its European allies called for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire to begin on May 12.
In response, Putin extended an invitation for talks, but stopped short of committing to the ceasefire, effectively rejecting the demand for an unconditional truce.
"Putin doesn't want a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine; instead, he wants to meet on Thursday in Turkey to negotiate an end to the bloodshed. Ukraine should agree to this immediately," Trump stated earlier on May 11.
