Zelensky says to meet Erdoğan for peace push
KIEV
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that he plans to meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on May 14 or 15 and hopes the talks will serve as a catalyst for broader peace negotiations.
Speaking at a press conference in Kiev, Zelensky confirmed that he intends to travel to Türkiye for discussions centered on ending the ongoing war with Russia. He also said he had extended an invitation to former U.S. President Donald Trump to join the proposed talks.
“We have invited President Trump to join us,” Zelensky said. “I don’t know the decision of the American president, but if he confirms his participation, I believe it would provide additional momentum for PresidentPutin to also come.”
Putin skipping talks would signal Moscow not seeking peace: Kiev
Ukraine said Tuesday that if Vladimir Putin skips talks in Türkiye it would be a "clear sign" to the world the Russian leader is not serious about peace, and the West should reply with boosted military support to Kiev.
The meeting set for Thursday in Istanbul would be the first direct negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian officials since the early months of Moscow's invasion in 2022.
Zelensky has called on Putin to personally attend the talks that the Kremlin leader himself suggested, but Moscow on Tuesday declined for the second day running to respond to that invitation.
"If Vladimir Putin refuses to come to Türkiye, it will be the final signal that Russia does not want to end this war, that Russia is not willing and not ready for any negotiations," Zelensky's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said in a statement published by the Ukrainian presidency.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday urged both leaders to attend and said he was "thinking" about going to the talks as well.
But Putin's spokesman on Tuesday refused to say who Russia would send to Istanbul.
"The Russian side continues to prepare for the talks scheduled for Thursday. That is all we can say at this point. We do not intend to comment further at this time," spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Asked if he could name Russia's negotiating team, Peskov said: "No... as soon as the president deems it necessary, we will announce it."
Putin proposed negotiations in a late-night statement over the weekend -- a counteroffer after Kiev and European countries urged Moscow to agree to a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire starting Monday.
