Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Sunday on X (formerly Twitter) that he will travel to Turkey this week, where he intends to wait for Russian President Vladimir Putin "personally." The move follows Putin’s proposal earlier that day to hold direct negotiations with Ukraine on Thursday in Istanbul.
In his post, Zelensky renewed his call for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, urging Putin to accept the demand by Monday—a proposal supported by several European governments.
Later on, Sunday, Axios reported that Zelensky would still travel to Istanbul for the negotiations even if Russia rejected the ceasefire, which Moscow has already done.
The proposed May 15 talks coincide with a scheduled meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Antalya, Turkey, running from May 14–16. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to attend the summit.
Zelensky’s insistence on meeting Putin directly, rather than through negotiating teams, may be an attempt to shift the diplomatic dynamic, though the Kremlin has made clear that Putin is unlikely to participate in direct talks. On Sunday, Putin aide Yuri Ushakov said Russia would soon announce the head of its negotiating team.
In October 2022, Zelensky signed a decree barring Ukrainian officials from negotiating with Russia as long as Putin remains in power—a decree that Moscow frequently cites as an obstacle to diplomacy. Zelensky has since stated that the ban does not apply to him personally, as he does not consider himself a “government official” under the decree’s terms.
European leaders responded to Putin’s proposal with cautious skepticism. French President Emmanuel Macron called the talks “a first step, but not enough.” U.S. President Donald Trump, who previously gave tacit support for Ukraine’s ceasefire demand, shifted his stance Sunday, posting on Truth Social that Ukraine should agree to participate in the talks.
However, Zelensky’s refusal to meet with anyone but Putin significantly lowers the prospects of any negotiations taking place this week unless Ukraine’s Western backers convince him to send a negotiating team instead.