Zelenskyy open to meeting Putin in Türkiye amid ceasefire push

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed readiness to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Türkiye on Thursday following calls from US President Donald Trump for direct talks.
European leaders set a deadline for Russia to accept a US-proposed 30-day ceasefire, but Putin countered by proposing a meeting instead.
Trump encouraged Ukraine to agree to the meeting to explore a possible deal, which would be the first direct talks between the leaders since the 2022 invasion.
Zelenskyy emphasized a full and lasting ceasefire as a precondition for diplomatic talks, while Russia demands that any ceasefire address the war’s root causes.