"I'll be waiting for Putin on Thursday in Turkey!": Zelensky raised the stakes in an exchange of statements

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was ready to meet Vladimir Putin in person this Thursday in Turkey. He said a full and long-term ceasefire was a condition for this.

"We expect a ceasefire from tomorrow - a complete and long-term one, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy. There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will wait for Putin on Thursday in Turkey. Personally. I hope that this time the Russians will not look for reasons why they cannot," Zelensky said.

The Ukrainian president published the message shortly after a statement by US leader Donald Trump, who demanded that Kyiv agree to resume direct talks with Russia in Istanbul.

This initiative was put forward by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has already agreed with Turkey to provide a platform for negotiations. Before that, the "coalition of the willing" issued an ultimatum to Moscow, demanding that it agree to an unconditional truce for 30 days.