Major Turning Point in Russia-Ukraine War? Putin Proposes Direct Talks, Zelensky Responds: See You Thursday

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that he is ready to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Turkey on Thursday. This follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s public call for Zelensky to immediately accept the offer of direct talks made by Putin.

“I’ll be in Turkey waiting for Putin on Thursday. I’ll go in person,” Zelensky wrote on X. “I hope this time the Russians won’t make excuses again.”

Zelensky added, “We are expecting a full and lasting ceasefire starting tomorrow to provide the necessary ground for diplomacy. Continuing the killing is meaningless.”

His response marked the end of a dramatic 48-hour period.

On Saturday, May 10, Ukraine and key European leaders agreed to a 30-day unconditional ceasefire starting May 12, warning that Russia would face massive new sanctions if it failed to comply.

However, Russia rejected the ceasefire proposal and instead called for direct talks.

At a press conference held early on May 11 at the Kremlin, Putin proposed that the Ukrainian government come to Istanbul before May 15 to resume peace talks that had broken down in April 2022 and address the issue of a ceasefire.

Russia’s foreign ministry also clarified that the root causes of the conflict must be discussed first before talking about a ceasefire.

It remains unclear whether Putin intends to attend the talks in person. He and Zelensky have not met since December 2019 and have made no secret of their disdain for each other.

After Putin proposed “unconditional direct negotiations,” Kremlin senior aide Yuri Ushakov quickly told reporters that the talks must consider the draft peace agreement from 2022 and the current battlefield situation.

This would require Kyiv to agree to permanent neutrality in exchange for security guarantees and accept Russian control over large parts of Ukrainian territory.

Ukraine, however, insists that agreeing to the 2022 draft terms would be tantamount to surrender.

Trump Applies Pressure

Less than an hour before Zelensky agreed to the talks, U.S. President Trump publicly pressured him to accept the meeting.

“President Putin of Russia is not seeking just a ceasefire with Ukraine, but a meeting in Turkey this Thursday to negotiate the possible end of this conflict. Ukraine should accept this immediately. At the very least, they’ll see whether a deal is possible, and if not, European leaders and the U.S. will know the reality and can act accordingly!” Trump wrote Sunday on Truth Social.

Earlier that day, Trump had responded to Putin’s comments by calling it “a potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine!”

Trump has been pushing for an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, aiming to position himself as a peace broker.

Neither Russia nor Ukraine wants to antagonize Trump. Ukraine is eager to secure more military support from a potential Trump administration, while Russia hopes to ease sanctions and reconnect with the world's largest economy.