Zelenskyy Says He’s Willing to Meet With Putin in Turkey

‘It is a positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war,’ Zelenskyy said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrives for meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Kyiv, Ukraine, on May 10, 2025. Gleb Garanich/Reuters

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 11, agreeing to meet him in Turkey on May 15 while reiterating the need for a full, temporary cease-fire between the two warring neighbors before talks commence on a lasting peace.

“It is a positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war,” Zelenskyy wrote in a post on social media platform X. “The entire world has been waiting for this for a very long time. And the very first step in truly ending any war is a ceasefire.”

Ukraine awaits a “full and lasting ceasefire, starting from tomorrow, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy,” Zelenskyy wrote in a later post on May 11, while at the same time agreeing to meet with Putin in Turkey.

“Personally. I hope that this time the Russians will not look for excuses.”

On May 11, Russia resumed mass drone attacks on Ukraine, capping the end of its self-declared three-day pause in fighting.

Ukraine’s Air Force stated on May 11 that Russia had launched 108 attack drones and simulator drones from six different locations, with 60 drones shot down and another 41 simulator drones failing to hit their targets following Ukrainian countermeasures.

Both nations have accused each other of violating the three-day cease-fire, with the Russian Defense Ministry on May 11 claiming that Ukraine had done so 14,000 times. Ukraine also accused Russia of violating the truce, and the Ukrainian foreign minister called it a farce.

Ukraine had not agreed to the May 8 to May 10 cease-fire that Russia unilaterally declared and accused Russia of constantly violating it.

Zelenskyy highlighted a proposal to begin a 30-day unconditional cease-fire on May 12, saying he expects Putin to commit to a “full, lasting, and reliable” cease-fire by May 12 and that “Ukraine is ready to meet.”

“There is no point in continuing the killing even for a single day,” Zelenskyy said.

While speaking to the media early on May 11, Putin called for resuming direct peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15 “without any preconditions,” during which a cease-fire could be negotiated.

The leaders from four major European nations are threatening to raise pressure on Moscow if it does not agree to an unconditional 30-day cease-fire in Ukraine, joining together on May 10 in a show of unity for Kyiv.

“We reiterate our backing for [U.S.] President [Donald] Trump’s calls for a peace deal and call on Russia to stop obstructing efforts to secure an enduring peace,” the leaders of France, Germany, Poland, and the UK said in a joint statement. “Alongside the U.S., we call on Russia to agree to a full and unconditional 30-day cease-fire to create the space for talks on a just and lasting peace.”

The Trump administration had also previously proposed a 30-day total cease-fire between the two warring nations, although Moscow has seemed reluctant to accept the proposal.

Several hours after Putin’s remarks on May 11, Trump said that it was a “potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine!”

“I will continue to work with both sides to make sure that it happens. The USA wants to focus, instead, on Rebuilding and Trade. A big week upcoming!” Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social.

In remarks that aired on Russian state TV on May 11, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described Putin’s proposal as “very serious” and said that it “confirms a real intention [to] find a peaceful solution.”

“The goals of the talks are clear: to eliminate the root causes of the conflict. And also to ensure the interests of the Russian Federation,” Peskov said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron by phone on May 11 and said Turkey was ready to facilitate peace between Russia and Ukraine, including hosting discussions to “establish cease-fire and lasting peace.”

During the call, Erdogan said the nations involved had reached a “historic turning point” in ending the war, according to a statement from the Turkish Presidential Communications Office, which confirmed that he had also spoken to Putin on May 11.

Erdogan told Russia that he was ready to host negotiations that “could lead to a lasting resolution.”

Ryan Morgan, Andrew Thornebrooke, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.