Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Turkey on May 15 for direct talks on ending the Russia-Ukraine war, as proposed by Putin.
Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014. After years of tensions, Putin sent Russian military forces into Ukraine in February 2022, calling it a special operation to defend Russian-speaking people there. Putin also said Ukraine’s efforts to join NATO posed a threat to Russia. The conflict has escalated into Europe’s largest war since World War II. Russia now controls 20% of Ukraine’s territory.
As Russia continues to launch many attacks on Ukraine, Putin’s proposal for direct talks comes after major world powers warned on May 10 that they would take new measures against Russia if it did not halt hostilities for 30 days. Putin announced in a televised statement on May 11 that he wanted direct talks between Russia and Ukraine. However, Putin also said the talks could only happen if Ukraine did not set any preconditions.
Putin noted that talks between Russia and Ukraine had taken place in 2022 but ended due to Ukraine. He said Russia still wants to establish lasting peace. Putin said he believes some kind of agreement on halting hostilities could be reached during the talks in Turkey, which would be a step towards establishing sustainable peace.
Previously, Zelenskyy had said Ukraine was ready for talks with Russia, but only if Russia agreed to halt hostilities for 30 days as proposed by Western countries. However, Zelenskyy later changed his tone. In a post on X, Zelenskyy said he would be waiting for Putin in Turkey on May 15. He said he hopes Russia will not make any excuses this time.
Zelenskyy’s change in tone appears to be in response to comments by former U.S. President Donald Trump about Putin’s proposal. The U.S. is Ukraine’s biggest military aid provider. Trump said Russia does not just want a temporary halt to hostilities, but wants to negotiate an end to the bloody war.
Trump said Ukraine should immediately accept Putin’s invitation to talks. He said that’s the only way to know if an agreement can be reached. Trump added that if an agreement cannot be reached, Western leaders and the U.S. will have clarity on the situation and can decide how to proceed. It remains unclear if Putin will personally participate in the proposed talks in Turkey on May 15.
