Zelensky: “I will personally be waiting for Putin in Istanbul on May 15.”

U.S. President Donald Trump called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to immediately accept Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal for negotiations. He made this call in a sharp and decisive statement on his social media platform, Truth Social.

According to Trump, the meeting that could take place on May 15 in Istanbul, Turkey, might help resolve the situation between Kyiv and Moscow or at the very least, determine the effectiveness of such negotiations.

“Ukraine must immediately agree to Putin’s proposal! At the very least, these talks will clarify whether a deal can be reached or not. If an agreement is impossible, then European and U.S. leaders will have a clear understanding of the situation and can determine next steps,” said the former U.S. president.

Trump also stressed that Ukraine cannot win this conflict against Russia without U.S. support and mentioned that Vladimir Putin is currently engaged in the Victory Day celebrations commemorating World War II:

“I’m starting to doubt that Zelensky will agree to Putin’s offer. Because Ukraine cannot win this war without the United States! Not even close!” said Trump.

In addition, Trump ended his address in a very strong tone: “Meet — right now!”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in turn, openly stated that he is ready for a face-to-face meeting with Putin and expressed hope that a full and long-term ceasefire would begin from May 12:

“Tomorrow, we are waiting for the Russian side to fully and permanently stop all fire. This will create important ground for the start of diplomatic negotiations. There is no longer any point in continuing war and suffering. Therefore, I personally await Putin in Istanbul on May 15,” Zelensky wrote on his Telegram channel.

It should be reminded that Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a press conference held at the Kremlin on the night of May 11, proposed to resume direct negotiations with Ukraine. He called for the talks — which were suspended in 2022 — to restart on May 15 in Istanbul, without any preconditions.

The entire global community is now eagerly awaiting the meeting in Istanbul and its outcomes. This meeting could represent a historic opportunity to resolve the conflict between Ukraine and Russia through peaceful means.

Zamin.uz editorial staff is closely monitoring the situation and will continue to provide readers with up-to-date information.

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