Ukraine's Zelensky Heads to Ankara, Urges Putin to Join Ceasefire Talks

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reaffirmed on Wednesday that he will be in Ankara, Turkey, on Thursday, May 15, 2025, for negotiations, and expects Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend.

Putin has not confirmed his participation in the talks, which the United States, under President Donald Trump, has encouraged as part of its push to end the war that has raged for over three years.

Speaking to reporters in Kyiv, Zelensky said he will meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, and together they will wait for Putin's arrival.

Zelensky stressed, “I will do everything to agree on a ceasefire, because it is with (Putin) that I must negotiate a ceasefire, as only he can decide on it.”

He warned that if Putin fails to show up, European and American leaders must respond with new and tougher sanctions against Russia.

Since taking office in January, President Trump has pressed both sides to negotiate, vowing to bring the conflict to an end.

“Talks are being held in Turkey later this week, probably on Thursday, and they could produce some pretty good results,” Trump said, as quoted by CNN.

European leaders have also warned of fresh sanctions against Moscow if Putin does not agree to a 30-day ceasefire. The Russian president, however, has proposed holding direct talks in Istanbul on the same day.

On Tuesday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz reiterated the EU's position, stating, “If there is no real progress this week, we want to work together at the European level to significantly tighten sanctions.”

French President Emmanuel Macron expressed similar support, saying Paris is ready to impose new penalties targeting Russia’s financial sector and energy exports if a ceasefire is not reached.

The war, now entering its fourth year since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, has claimed tens of thousands of lives and stretched across a 1,000-kilometer frontline.

The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said on Monday that Russia "is rapidly refilling frontline units with new recruits to maintain the battlefield initiative."

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