Kiev [Ukraine], May 15: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would only attend direct talks with Russia if President Vladimir Putin was present in Istanbul, Türkiye, on May 15.
Reuters quoted President Zelensky on May 13 as saying that he wanted to negotiate an unconditional ceasefire for 30 days as a step towards ending the conflict between Russia and Ukraine , while emphasizing that President Putin should participate in the negotiations because "everything in Russia depends on him".
"We want to agree on the start and end of the conflict," the Ukrainian leader said. Mr. Zelensky called on the US and the European Union (EU) to impose "strong sanctions" if the talks do not take place.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on May 13 declined to comment on the possibility of President Putin's participation. Mr. Peskov confirmed that a Russian delegation would "wait" for the Ukrainian side in Istanbul (Türkiye) on May 15, but did not reveal exactly which officials would participate in the negotiations.
On the same day, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov stressed that Moscow is committed to negotiating "seriously and responsibly", while saying it is too early to make any predictions about the prospects for peace talks.
Earlier, President Putin proposed direct negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul. This proposal was supported by US President Donald Trump. Later, President Zelensky said he wanted to meet President Putin directly.
US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg are expected to travel to Istanbul to participate in possible talks between Russia and Ukraine, Reuters reported citing informed sources.
In an interview on Fox Business Network on May 13, special envoy Kellogg said that Mr. Zelensky would attend the meeting in Istanbul on May 15 and if Mr. Putin appeared, Mr. Trump would also participate in the negotiations there.
"We hope President Putin will also appear, and then President Trump will appear. This could be a historic meeting. I really believe that we can achieve peace fairly quickly if all three leaders sit down and talk," said Mr. Kellogg.
Earlier, President Trump said on May 12 that he would fly to Istanbul for meetings if necessary.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper