Zelensky: I’m wait for Putin in Türkiye!

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s statement that he would wait for Putin in Türkiye made headlines in international media.

On Sunday, Zelensky announced that he expects Russia to implement a complete and permanent ceasefire starting Monday to end the war, and that he will meet his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Türkiye on Thursday.

According to Ukrainian officals, Zelensky head is heading to Türkiye for possible talks.

The Ukrainian official said that even if Russia doesn’t agree to a ceasefire on Monday, Zelensky will be in Türkiye next Thursday.

Regarding the potential summit between the Ukrainian and Russian presidents, Zelensky said he is ready to meet Putin in person in Istanbul next Thursday.

“I will wait for Putin in Türkiye on Thursday,” Zelenskyy said.

On the other hand, during a press conference on Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed resuming direct talks with Ukraine without preconditions next Thursday in Istanbul, after they were suspended in 2022.

The Kremlin said in a statement on Sunday that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan offered his full support for his Russian counterpart, Putin, to hold direct negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Presidency’s Communications Department said in a statement on Sunday that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed to his Russian counterpart Türkiye’s willingness to host peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.

It’s noteworthy that in March 2022, Istanbul hosted several rounds of talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations to reach an agreement on ending the war.

The two countries signed an agreement in Istanbul in July 2022, brokered by Türkiye and the United Nations, to ship Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea and help address the global food crisis that has worsened since the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war.

The agreement was extended three times before Moscow suspended it on July 17, 2023.