Zelenskiy Says Ukraine Will Talk Once Russia Agrees to Truce
Source: Bloomberg
May 11, 2025 at 4:00 AM EDT
Updated on May 11, 2025 at 7:52 AM EDT
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukraine was ready to meet for talks with Russia — but only after Vladimir Putin agrees to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, which the Russian president so far hasn’t done.
Putin overnight proposed direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15, but didn’t address the ultimatum made on Saturday by Kyiv and its Western allies to either move forward with a temporary truce or face crippling new sanctions. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Putin in a phone call on Sunday that Turkey was ready to host negotiations that would lead to “a permanent solution” to the war, according to a statement from his office.
“We expect Russia to confirm a ceasefire – full, lasting, and reliable – starting tomorrow, May 12th, and Ukraine is ready to meet,” Zelenskiy said in a post on X on Sunday. “It is a positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war.”
With both sides staking out their positions, the onus will now be on Kyiv’s allies to prove they can deliver on their threats if Russia fails to halt hostilities. European leaders said they had President Donald Trump’s backing for the ultimatum; the US president on Thursday called for a 30-day ceasefire and threatened to impose further sanctions if a truce isn’t “respected.”
Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-11/zelenskiy-says-ukraine-ready-to-talk-once-russia-agrees-to-truce?srnd=homepage-americas