Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy plans to visit Turkey on May 15 for potential negotiations with Russia, even if Moscow does not agree to a ceasefire. This was reported by Axios, citing an anonymous source in the Ukrainian government.
Earlier, in his Telegram channel, Zelenskyy stated his readiness for a personal meeting with Vladimir Putin in Istanbul on the specified date, but only on the condition that Russia implements a "complete and long-term" cessation of hostilities starting May 12.
"Starting tomorrow, we expect a full and lasting ceasefire—this will create the foundation for diplomacy. There is no point in continuing the loss of lives. I will wait for Putin on Thursday in Turkey. In person. I hope this time the Russians won’t look for excuses to refuse," the Ukrainian leader noted.
In turn, the Russian side insists that negotiations in Istanbul must take place first, and only then can a ceasefire be discussed. This statement was made on May 11 by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.
The night before, on May 10-11, Vladimir Putin proposed that Ukraine hold direct talks in Istanbul on May 15 without preconditions, despite accusations against Kyiv of "disrupting Russian initiatives for a ceasefire."
"It is possible that during these negotiations, an agreement could be reached on new ceasefires, on a real cessation of hostilities that would be observed by both sides," the Russian president emphasized.
At midnight on May 10-11, the term of the truce declared by Russia for May 9 expired. However, Putin did not mention the 30-day ceasefire sought by Zelenskyy and Western leaders.