ISTANBUL 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday he is ready to fly to Istanbul to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, if necessary.

On Sunday, the Russian president proposed the resumption of direct peace negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv without preconditions in the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul on May 15, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirming his readiness to host the talks in a call with Putin later that day.

The high-stakes diplomatic initiative has been arranged with Türkiye as a facilitator in what would be the first direct talks between Russia and Ukraine since early 2022.

In response to the proposal, Zelenskyy said he would "personally" await “Putin in Türkiye on Thursday, but reaffirmed Ukraine's expectations for a ceasefire starting Monday to "provide the necessary basis for diplomacy."

Zelenskyy told reporters in Kyiv that he would meet his Turkish counterpart on Thursday in Ankara, where they would await Putin’s arrival.

“So that Russia does not manipulate the cities and does not say that Putin is not ready to fly to Ankara but is ready to fly only to Istanbul… I want to say right away, if Putin flies to Istanbul… the Turkish side is ready for President Erdogan and me to fly to Istanbul,” Zelenskyy said.

“If Putin is really ready to meet not only in the media but also in real life, then at the level of leaders we will do everything to agree on a ceasefire,” he added.

Responding to a question about what outcome from negotiations with Putin would best suit Ukraine, Zelenskyy said: "I think a ceasefire," arguing that a halt to hostilities would only be the first step toward ending the conflict, now in its third year.

The Ukrainian president also denied that he has information on whether US President Donald Trump will arrive in Türkiye for the talks.

"There are certain signals (that he will come), but at the moment we have no confirmation that he will be there," Zelenskyy added.​​​​​​​