Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said he will do everything to ensure direct talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Turkiye this week.
Speaking to reporters in a briefing at the presidential administration in Kyiv on Tuesday, Zelenskiy said Russia has not yet said who will fly to Istanbul, only that it would be announced "as soon as Putin deems it necessary". Putin and Zelenskiy have not themselves met since December 2019.
Previously, Zelenskiy announced he was ready to meet Putin in person for talks in Turkey after Putin’s call for direct talks in Turkey “without preconditions”.
Confirming his visit to Turkiye on Tuesday, Zelelnskiy said his team is actively preparing for a visit to Turkey. “Today, we presented Ukraine's position in great detail to all our partners. I want to thank everyone for their support," he noted.
He stressed that it was Putin who must resolve the issue with the war. "It is Putin who decides everything in Russia, and he is the one who must resolve the issue of war. This is his war. That's why the negotiations must be with him," Zelenskiy stressed.
Commenting on US position on Russia-Ukraine war, Zelenskiy said Donald Trump must understand that Putin is not genuinely interested in peace talks.
“Trump needs to believe that Putin actually lies. And we should do our part. Sensibly approach this issue, to show that it’s not us that is slowing down the process,” said Zelenskiy.
