Zelensky Demands Direct Talks With Putin As Pressure Builds Ahead Of Turkey Summit

 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has raised the stakes ahead of a potential summit in Turkey by declaring he will only meet directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin, rejecting talks with any other Russian officials.

Zelensky confirmed he would travel to Turkey for the proposed summit, encouraged by U.S. President Donald Trump, who has called for direct engagement between Kyiv and Moscow. Putin himself had suggested the possibility of such a meeting, though the Kremlin has yet to confirm whether he will attend.

Asked about his objectives for the summit, Zelensky stated plainly that anything short of a ceasefire agreement would be a failure. “I’m ready to meet Putin, and an end to the war must come through direct talks with him,” he told reporters.

The summit in Turkey is part of a renewed international push to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine. Backed by the United States and European allies, the current proposal calls for a 30-day halt to hostilities. French President Emmanuel Macron has warned that if Moscow refuses to comply, coordinated sanctions could be imposed within days, including restrictions on Russia’s financial sector.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to attend the talks in Istanbul. Trump has said he is open to making the trip himself, depending on whether Putin chooses to appear. “Talks are being held in Turkey later this week, probably on Thursday, and they could produce some pretty good results,” Trump said during a visit to Saudi Arabia.

Zelensky has extended an invitation to Trump, saying his presence would “give additional impulse for Putin to fly in.” While Trump has not committed to attending, he noted he could reroute his travel plans in the Gulf if he believes his participation could help the process.

“I think you may have a good result out of the Thursday meeting,” Trump told reporters. “I don’t know where I’m going to be on Thursday, I’ve got so many meetings, but I was thinking about actually flying over there.”

Even if Trump does not attend, other top U.S. officials, including the envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg and foreign affairs envoy Steve Witkoff, are scheduled to be in Istanbul for the summit. They are expected to observe the talks rather than formally mediate.

The Kremlin, however, has remained vague on whether Putin will attend. Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the president would announce his decision “in due course.”

The prospect of a breakthrough remains uncertain. Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) have warned that Russian officials may be laying the groundwork for Putin to reject the meeting. They noted that several key aides have questioned Zelensky’s sincerity, labeling the proposed summit a “spectacle.”

Two European diplomatic sources have expressed skepticism that the meeting will take place at all, doubting Putin will show up.

Meanwhile, the situation on the ground in eastern Ukraine suggests Russia is not preparing for a ceasefire. Russian forces continue to advance incrementally and conduct regular missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities. While the frontlines have remained largely static for months, Moscow appears to be intensifying psychological operations. The ISW reported that Russia recently deployed a ceremonial unit from its Federal Security Service (FSB) to the frontlines, likely as a signal of future aggression.

Ukraine’s allies continue to pressure Washington to stay vigilant, arguing that any ceasefire agreement would test whether Moscow is genuinely interested in peace. Zelensky has insisted that if no deal is reached, the U.S. and Europe must move forward with “strong” new sanctions.

Direct talks between the Russian and Ukrainian presidents have not occurred since the early days of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. The coming days will determine whether the proposed summit marks a turning point—or just another missed opportunity.