Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyj says he is ready to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin this week.
"I will wait for Putin in Turkey on Thursday. Personally. I hope the Russians do not come up with any excuses this time", Zelenskyj wrote on X in a surprising move on Sunday.
The maneuver came after the leaders of France, Germany, Poland, and the United Kingdom, in connection with a visit to Kyiv on Saturday, demanded that Russia accept a US-backed proposal for a ceasefire starting today Monday.
Trump urges
Putin rejected the demand and instead proposed that delegations from Moscow and Kyiv meet in Turkish Istanbul on Thursday.
Ukraine and its allies have, however, long dismissed all direct negotiations with Russia before Putin agrees to a ceasefire. Therefore, it is still extremely uncertain what will happen on Thursday.
"HAVE THE MEETING, NOW!!!", urged USA's president Donald Trump on Truth Social after Russia's proposal.
Parts of Ukraine's allies gather today in London, where Foreign Minister David Lammy meets representatives from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the EU. The alliance Weimar+ is an extension of the so-called Weimar Triangle, which consists of Germany, Poland, and France.
Talks with Rubio
Lammy is expected to announce further sanctions against those who support Russia's invasion of Ukraine in connection with Monday's meeting.
The challenge we face today is not only about Ukraine's future, it is existential for Europe as a whole, said the Foreign Minister ahead of the meeting.
In a phone call with Lammy on Sunday, USA's Foreign Minister Marco Rubio is said to have underlined that Washington's top priority is "an end to the battles and an immediate ceasefire", reports AFP.
