Zelensky Stresses Only Direct Talks with Putin in Turkey, Leaves Room for Higher-Level Negotiations

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to meet exclusively with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his trip to Turkey this week for potential peace talks, as stated by a senior Ukrainian official on Tuesday.

Zelensky accepted Putin’s unexpected suggestion for direct discussions in Istanbul, which is scheduled for Thursday, and has challenged the Russian leader to meet in person.

Putin proposed the meeting as a counter to a 30-day ceasefire urged by Western nations; however, the Kremlin has not confirmed whether he will attend, seemingly surprised by Zelensky’s intent to participate personally.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump, who is in the Middle East this week, indicated to reporters on Monday that he would consider joining the discussions in Istanbul “if it would be beneficial.” According to an unnamed White House official who spoke to CNN, Trump’s participation is contingent upon Putin’s attendance.

“If Putin does not attend, this is not a meeting at the presidential level,” said Mykhaylo Podolyak, an adviser to Zelensky, during a YouTube interview with exiled Russian journalist Alexander Plyushchev. “There is a decision-maker for Ukraine… and there’s one for Russia.”

He further commented, “Everything else is mere formalities that will lead to no outcome.”

Podolyak mentioned that a lower-level “technical meeting” could occur if Putin chooses not to attend, but emphasized that such a decision would indicate Russia’s lack of readiness to resolve the war through direct negotiations.

“If Russia is not represented at the highest level, it suggests they’re unwilling to halt the war or negotiate without mediators,” he remarked to Plyushchev.

Additionally, Andriy Yermak, Zelensky’s Chief of Staff, asserted that the president’s plan to visit Turkey demonstrates Kyiv’s willingness to engage in discussions while reiterating that any negotiations should follow a ceasefire.

“Our stance is very firm and principled,” Yermak stated at a conference in Copenhagen.

If the meeting takes place, it would represent the first face-to-face interaction between the two sides since the Istanbul peace talks in March 2022, which ended without a resolution to the conflict.

Later on Tuesday, Reuters reported that Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg, are preparing to travel to Istanbul for the potential negotiations.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed his readiness to facilitate the latest discussions and encouraged both sides to take advantage of a “window of opportunity” for peace. China, a significant ally of Russia, also supported efforts for a “binding peace agreement” acceptable to all stakeholders.

Putin stated that direct talks should address the “underlying issues” of the conflict and did not dismiss the possibility of reaching a ceasefire during the Istanbul meeting. He has maintained that Ukraine must cede territory currently under Russian control and forego its ambitions to join NATO.

On Tuesday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov conveyed to state media that Moscow aims to utilize the potential negotiations in Istanbul as a platform to discuss the “denazification of the Kyiv regime,” alongside the acknowledgment of Russia’s sovereignty over Ukrainian territories.

Moscow officials have long supported the narrative that Ukraine is governed by neo-Nazis, and Putin declared both “denazification” and “demilitarization” of the nation as primary objectives at the onset of the full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Report contributions were made by AFP and Reuters.