Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he will only attend peace talks in Turkey on Thursday if Russian President Vladimir Putin shows up in person. Zelensky emphasized that “everything in Russia depends” on Putin, and meeting other officials would be pointless.
The meeting was proposed by Putin following a European ultimatum linking ceasefire to sanctions. However, the Kremlin has not confirmed Putin’s attendance, and senior Russian aides have cast doubt on the talks.
Emergency response operations are currently underway in Kharkiv after a Russian drone strike. Another strike on an energy facility, a purely civilian one. Russia is being Russia. When everybody awaits Russia’s response to a ceasefire and direct negotiations, they respond with new… pic.twitter.com/CdaCWub0Ee
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 13, 2025
President Donald Trump, currently on a Gulf tour, said he may detour to Istanbul if it would help secure peace, adding that Putin “wants” him there. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other U.S. envoys will attend regardless.
Zelensky said Trump’s presence could “give additional impulse” for Putin to come. European leaders remain skeptical, with new EU sanctions targeting Russia’s shadow oil fleet and more penalties looming if Moscow rejects a ceasefire.
