President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has announced his readiness for direct negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The meeting can take place on May 15 in Turkey - both in the capital of Ankara and Istanbul. The Head of State stated this at a press conference on May 13.
Zelensky noted that the purpose of such negotiations is to reach a ceasefire. According to him, only Putin has the opportunity to make such a decision by Russia.
The President stressed that other negotiations are not considered other than a personal meeting at the level of leaders. Only after it is it possible to discuss the parts by representatives of the negotiation groups.
He also reported that on May 14 he would visit Ankara, where he will meet with Turkish President Recep Taiip Erdogan. If Putin agrees to a meeting in Istanbul, Zelensky and Erdogan are ready to fly there.
Zelensky noted that the signal of readiness for such negotiations came from Russia, and the United States supported this initiative.
The President stressed that Ukraine is open to dialogue and supports all possible steps that can lead to the end of the war. In his opinion, even if both sides do not have the full satisfaction of the result of the negotiations, the result itself, including ceasefire, is more important.
This can be the first personal meeting between Zelensky and Putin since the beginning of a full -scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine in 2022.
