Zelenskyy vows to meet Putin personally in Turkey

He wrote about this on Telegram.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that starting May 12, Ukraine will wait for a ceasefire — “complete and lasting, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy.”

“There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will be waiting for Putin on Thursday in Turkey. Personally. I hope this time the Russians won’t look for excuses why they can’t come,” he added.

Trump backs peace talks in Turkey

“Starting tomorrow, we expect a ceasefire — this proposal is on the table. A complete and unconditional ceasefire — lasting, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy — could significantly bring peace closer. Ukraine has long been offering this, our partners are offering it. The whole world is calling for it. We are waiting for a clear response from Russia,” Zelenskyy said during his evening address.

The President expressed hope that this time Putin would not look for excuses not to come to the talks in Turkey.

“We are ready to talk to end the war. Thursday, Turkey. President Trump has given his support. All leaders support it,” he added.

Steps toward peace talks

On Saturday, May 10, 2025, the leaders of the Coalition of the Willing met in Kyiv. As a result, they supported an unconditional and complete ceasefire in Ukraine for 30 days, which is to begin on Monday, May 12.

The participants — Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer, Friedrich Merz, and Donald Tusk — immediately called Donald Trump after the meeting. According to media reports, Zelenskyy allegedly confirmed his readiness for direct talks with Putin, but only if Putin first agrees to the 30-day truce.

During his nightly address on May 11, Russian leader Vladimir Putin claimed he was open to direct negotiations with the Ukrainian side in Turkey as early as next week. However, he ignored the idea of a 30-day ceasefire. In response, U.S. leader Donald Trump said he would continue working with both sides and called the upcoming week “a big one.”

Later, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, during which he pledged to assist in organizing direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.