Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday proposed an unconditional ceasefire with Russia until a meeting is held between the countries' leaders, adding that Kyiv is prepared to meet "any day" in Istanbul, Switzerland, or the Vatican. "The Russians are not ready for a ceasefire - at least, not at the level of their current delegation. They told us directly that this is a matter for the leaders. We are proposing - and I think our partners may support us - we are proposing to the Russians a ceasefire ahead of the leaders' meeting," Zelenskyy said.
According to Anadolu Agency, Zelenskyy expressed Ukraine's readiness for a leaders' summit starting Monday, suggesting Istanbul, the Vatican, and Switzerland as possible venues. He mentioned that the Ukrainian side would appreciate support from US President Donald Trump and expressed confidence that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would back the talks, noting Erdogan's previous interest in a four-way meeting with the US, Russia, and Ukraine.
Zelenskyy emphasized that Russia could end the ceasefire unilaterally if the proposed meeting did not yield progress toward peace. He indicated that if a path for dialogue and de-escalation emerged, the ceasefire could be extended with American monitoring and mediation guarantees. Zelenskyy also expressed willingness to meet with Putin even without a ceasefire, highlighting the necessity of serious sanctions on Moscow if Russia showed no intent to end the ongoing conflict.
On Monday, Istanbul hosted the second round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks after the first one on May 16. During these talks, both sides agreed to exchange more prisoners of war, focusing on the youngest and most severely wounded, and to return the bodies of 6,000 soldiers from each side. Speaking on the prisoner swaps, Zelenskyy mentioned that consultations were held earlier, and the Russian side indicated they could transfer 500 people over the weekend. Zelenskyy stated Ukraine's preparedness to reciprocate the exchange.
The Ukrainian president described the draft memorandum provided by Russia during the Istanbul talks as an "ultimatum," stressing that the agreement's spirit was ultimatum-based. He noted that the success of a third round of talks would depend on the negotiability of the agreement's clauses.