‘Ready to meet Putin’ in Turkey: Zelenskyy expecting Russia to confirm a ceasefire

It is a positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war. The entire world has been waiting for this for a very long time. And the very first step in truly ending any war is a ceasefire.

There is no point in continuing the killing even for a single…

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 11, 2025

Zelenskyy said on Sunday that he would be ready to meet Putin for talks in Istanbul on Thursday after US President Donald Trump told him to agree to an offer of talks with Russia immediately.

“And I will be waiting for Putin in Türkiye on Thursday,” he added in a post on X.

We await a full and lasting ceasefire, starting from tomorrow, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy. There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will be waiting for Putin in Türkiye on Thursday. Personally. I hope that this time the Russians will not look for…

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 11, 2025

The proposal for a 30-day ceasefire isn’t new. The US first floated the idea back in March, but it’s gained momentum over the past few days following a coordinated push from European leaders.

Yesterday, politicians including the UK’s Keir Starmer, France’s Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Friedrich Merz, and Poland’s Donald Tusk issued a unified demand to Moscow: accept an unconditional truce starting Monday or face “new and massive” sanctions. They even reached out to Donald Trump in an attempt to get him on board.

Macron said “a ceasefire is needed now, so that talks can begin.” He confirmed that Zelensky had accepted the proposal and stressed, “there can be no negotiations while weapons are speaking.”

However, Putin, in a late-night press conference, avoided endorsing the ceasefire and instead floated a counter-proposal, asking for direct talks with Ukraine in Turkey next Thursday.

Ukraine rejected the sequencing. “Ceasefire first, talks later,” was Kyiv’s clear message.

According to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s offer of talks showed a “real intention” to reach a peaceful solution.

A professor of political science at the University of California, Daniel Treisman, told the BBC that Putin’s move “comes from the desire to avoid being forced into a ceasefire.” He added, “Putin is doing his usual judo move and trying to get out of the thing he is trying to avoid by proposing something else.”

Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, suggested Ukraine misunderstood the Russian president. She said Putin was calling for negotiations about the “root causes” of the conflict before any ceasefire could be discussed.

This aligns with what Putin has said repeatedly since the ceasefire was first suggested, that any pause in fighting must address what Moscow claims are long-standing security concerns. For Russia, that includes NATO expansion and the very idea of an independent Ukraine being a threat.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry ambassador-at-large Rodion Miroshnik dismissed Zelensky’s ceasefire proposal altogether, writing on Telegram that the move was simply an excuse “to rearm and regroup.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan offered to host the potential talks in Ankara. In a phone call with Putin, Erdoğan reiterated Turkey’s readiness, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to join NATO foreign ministers in Turkey at the same time. The war will be top of the agenda.

While a NATO member, Turkey has maintained the closest relationship with Russia among the alliance’s members since the invasion began.

Russia’s self-declared three-day ceasefire, meant to coincide with its Victory Day commemorations from May 8–10, ended with renewed intensity. According to Ukraine’s military, Russia launched 108 drones in overnight attacks. However, the Ukrainian air force said 101 were intercepted or fell without causing damage.