President Zelenskyy Will Participate In Ukrainian War Discussion In Istanbul If Putin Attends

JAKARTA - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will only attend talks about Ukraine if Vladimir Putin of Russia is also present.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump previously offered to attend a proposed meeting on Thursday in Istanbul, Turkey, which has been the focus of his efforts to end Europe's deadliest conflict since World War Two. Putin has not said whether he will take part in the meeting.

Both Russia and Ukraine have been trying to show they are working for peace after Trump prioritized ending the war, but they have not agreed to a clear path.

Putin on Sunday proposed direct negotiations with Ukraine after ignoring Ukraine's proposal for an unconditional ceasefire for 30 days. Trump then publicly asked Zelenskyy to accept it.

"President Zelenskiy will not meet any other Russian representatives in Istanbul, except Putin," Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak told Reuters on Tuesday, May 13.

His chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said Zelenskyy's trip to Turkey showed Kyiv was ready to negotiate but repeated Ukraine's stance every negotiations had to be carried out after the ceasefire.

"Our position is very principled and very strong," Yermak said during a visit to Copenhagen.

Moscow has not said whether Putin will visit Turkey.

"We are committed to seriously seeking a long-term peaceful settlement," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday but will not comment further on the talks.

Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which sparked a war that has killed hundreds of thousands of troops on both sides. Most of Europe has supported Kyiv by providing weapons and financial assistance, while Russia has turned to Iran and North Korea for support.

Trump demanded the two countries to end the war, threatening to abandon efforts to broker a peace deal unless there are clear signs of progress in the near future.