Zelenskyy hopes for ceasefire with Russia and says he’ll be ‘waiting for Putin’ in Turkey personally

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday he is hoping for a full and temporary ceasefire with Russia starting Monday, adding he would be in Turkey to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin “personally.”

His comments came after U.S. President Trump insisted Ukraine accept Russia’s latest offer of holding direct talks in Turkey on Thursday. Ukraine, along with European allies, had demanded Russia accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire starting on Monday before holding talks, but Moscow effectively rejected the proposal and called for direct negotiations instead.

It was not clear if Mr. Zelenskyy was conditioning his presence in Turkey on the Monday ceasefire holding.

“We await a full and lasting ceasefire, starting from tomorrow, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy. There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will be waiting for Putin in (Turkey) on Thursday. Personally. I hope that this time the Russians will not look for excuses,” he wrote on X.

There was no immediate comment from the Kremlin.

Mr. Trump said in a social media post earlier Sunday that Ukraine should agree to Putin’s peace talks proposal “IMMEDIATELY.”

“At least they will be able to determine whether or not a deal is possible, and if it is not, European leaders, and the U.S., will know where everything stands, and can proceed accordingly!” Mr. Trump wrote, adding: “HAVE THE MEETING, NOW!!!”

French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk met with Mr. Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Saturday and issued a coordinated call for a 30-day truce starting Monday. The plan has received backing from both the European Union and Mr. Trump.

The leaders pledged tougher sanctions on Russia if Mr. Putin did not accept the proposal.

Mr. Putin in remarks to the media overnight effectively rejected the offer and proposed restarting direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on Thursday instead “without preconditions.” He did not specify whether the talks on Thursday would involve Mr. Zelenskyy and himself personally.

He said a ceasefire might be agreed on during the negotiations — but stressed that the Kremlin needs a truce that would lead to a “lasting peace” instead of one that would allow Ukraine to rearm and mobilize more men into its armed forces.

Mr. Zelenskyy said on X on Sunday morning that it was a “positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war” and said that “the entire world has been waiting for this for a very long time.”

He added, however, that “the very first step in truly ending any war is a ceasefire.” “There is no point in continuing the killing even for a single day. We expect Russia to confirm a ceasefire – full, lasting, and reliable — starting tomorrow, May 12th, and Ukraine is ready to meet,” the Ukrainian leader said on X.

Mr. Putin and Mr. Zelenskyy have only met once — in 2019.

In the war’s early months, Mr. Zelenskyy repeatedly called for a personal meeting with Mr. Putin but was rebuffed. After the Kremlin’s decision in September 2022 to illegally annex four regions of Ukraine — Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, none of which Moscow fully controls — Mr. Zelenskyy enacted a decree declaring that holding negotiations with Mr. Putin had become impossible.

Mr. Macron said Sunday that Mr. Putin’s offer of direct negotiations with Ukraine is “a first step, but not enough,” signaling continued Western skepticism toward Moscow’s intentions.

“An unconditional ceasefire is not preceded by negotiations,” Mr. Macron told reporters at the Polish-Ukrainian border, according to French media.

Mr. Macron also warned that Mr. Putin is “looking for a way out, but he still wants to buy time.”