The meeting between Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyj and Donald Trump is proposed to be led by Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Expectations of a ceasefire and peace have increased. Progress can certainly be made as long as we sit at the negotiating table, says Hakan Fidan, who met the Russian president on Monday and Ukraine's president in Kyiv on Friday.
Russia rejects the meeting idea.
First, results must be achieved through direct negotiations between the two countries, says Kremlin spokesperson Dmitrij Peskov.
Zelenskyj: Incapable Russians
President Erdogan on Thursday urged Russia and Ukraine to "not close the door" for a potential peace meeting in Turkey on Monday.
Russia has proposed new talks in Istanbul and says it is ready to present a new peace proposal. Ukraine welcomes the proposal – but only wants to meet if Russia submits its conditions in advance", writes Zelenskyj on X after the meeting with Fidan.
”For over a week, the Russians have been incapable of presenting their so-called 'memorandum' which they promised to prepare”, writes Zelenskyj on X on Friday after the meeting with Fidan.
Neither Ukraine nor Turkey has received any documents, according to Zelenskyj.
”For a meeting to be meaningful, its agenda must be clear and the negotiations properly prepared. Unfortunately, Russia does everything it can to ensure that the next potential meeting yields no results”, he writes.
Negotiators
Russia announces that the country is sending a group of negotiators to Istanbul for a second round of direct talks. Ukraine wants further talks, but has not confirmed whether it will be on Monday in Istanbul.
Ukraine has for over two months urged Russia to agree to an unconditional ceasefire for 30 days. Moscow has rejected the appeals despite pressure from the USA and Europe. Instead, the Russian military has stepped up its advances in eastern Ukraine.
