President Volodymyr Zelensky will only attend talks on Ukraine if Russia’s Vladimir Putin is also there, the Ukrainian leader’s top aide said on Tuesday, challenging the Kremlin to show it is genuine about seeking peace.
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US President Donald Trump has offered to attend Thursday’s proposed meeting in Istanbul, which has become the focus of his attempts to end the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II.
The Kremlin has declined to comment on Zelensky’s call for Putin meeting in Turkey
Both Russia and Ukraine have sought to show they are working towards peace after Trump prioritised ending the war, but they have yet to agree any clear path.
Putin on Sunday proposed direct talks with Ukraine after ignoring a Ukrainian proposal for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire. Trump then publicly told Zelensky to accept.
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“President Volodymyr Zelensky will not meet with any other Russian representative in Istanbul, except Putin,” Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said.