Zelenskyy challenges Putin to meet him in Turkey 'personally' for ceasefire talks

From left, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz marque a telephone to U.S. President Donald Trump from Kyiv, Ukraine connected Saturday. Mstyslav Chernov/AP hide caption

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Mstyslav Chernov/AP

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy connected Sunday challenged Russia's President Vladimir Putin to conscionable him personally successful Turkey connected Thursday, the latest determination successful a weekend-long speech of proposals from some sides connected the adjacent steps successful the U.S.-led bid effort.

Zelenskyy said that helium inactive hopes for a ceasefire with Russia starting Monday, and that helium volition "be waiting for Putin" successful Turkey "personally" aft U.S. President Donald Trump insisted Ukraine judge Russia's latest connection — to clasp nonstop talks successful Turkey connected Thursday. Ukraine, on with European allies, had demanded Russia judge an unconditional 30-day ceasefire starting Monday earlier holding talks, but Moscow efficaciously rejected the connection and called for nonstop negotiations instead.

It was not wide if Zelenskyy was conditioning his beingness successful Turkey connected the Monday ceasefire holding, and determination was nary contiguous remark from the Kremlin connected whether Putin would go. In 2022, the war's aboriginal months, Zelenskyy repeatedly called for a idiosyncratic gathering with the Russian president but was rebuffed, and yet enacted a decree declaring that holding negotiations with Putin had go impossible.

"We await a afloat and lasting ceasefire, starting from tomorrow, to supply the indispensable ground for diplomacy. There is nary constituent successful prolonging the killings. And I volition beryllium waiting for Putin successful (Turkey) connected Thursday. Personally. I anticipation that this clip the Russians volition not look for excuses," Zelenskyy wrote connected X connected Sunday.

Trump said successful a societal media station earlier Sunday that Ukraine should hold to Putin's bid talks connection "IMMEDIATELY."

"At slightest they volition beryllium capable to find whether oregon not a woody is possible, and if it is not, European leaders, and the U.S., volition cognize wherever everything stands, and tin proceed accordingly!" Trump wrote, adding: "HAVE THE MEETING, NOW!!!"

Ukraine, allies importune connected a ceasefire

French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk met with Zelenskyy successful Kyiv connected Saturday and issued a coordinated telephone for a 30-day truce starting Monday. The program has received backing from some the European Union and Trump.

The leaders pledged tougher sanctions connected Russia if Putin did not judge the proposal.

Putin successful remarks to the media overnight efficaciously rejected the connection and projected restarting nonstop talks with Ukraine successful Istanbul connected Thursday alternatively "without preconditions." He did not specify whether the talks connected Thursday would impact Zelenskyy and himself personally.

He said a ceasefire mightiness beryllium agreed connected during the negotiations — but stressed that the Kremlin needs a truce that would pb to a "lasting peace" alternatively of 1 that would let Ukraine to rearm and mobilize much men into its equipped forces.

Zelenskyy said connected X connected Sunday greeting that it was a "positive motion that the Russians person yet begun to see ending the war," but insisted connected a ceasefire first.

Putin and Zelenskyy person lone met erstwhile — successful 2019. After repeated unsuccessful calls for a idiosyncratic gathering with the Russian person aboriginal connected successful the war, and pursuing the Kremlin's determination successful September 2022 to illegally annex 4 regions of Ukraine, Zelenskyy enacted a decree declaring that holding negotiations with Putin had go impossible.

Macron said Sunday that Putin's connection of nonstop negotiations with Ukraine is "a archetypal step, but not enough," signaling continued Western skepticism toward Moscow's intentions.

"An unconditional ceasefire is not preceded by negotiations," Macron told reporters astatine the Polish-Ukrainian border, according to French media, adding that Putin is "looking for a mode out, but helium inactive wants to bargain time."

Moscow presses connected with bid talks offer. Turkey says it's acceptable to host

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, successful comments aired by Russian authorities TV connected Sunday, called Putin's connection "very serious," aimed astatine eliminating "the basal causes of the conflict," and said it "confirms a existent volition to find a peaceful solution."

Without straight mentioning Moscow's proposal, Trump said successful a societal media station respective hours aft Putin's overnight remarks that it was "a perchance large time for Russia and Ukraine!"

"Think of the hundreds of thousands of lives that volition beryllium saved arsenic this ne'er ending 'bloodbath' hopefully comes to an end," Trump wrote. "I volition proceed to enactment with some sides to marque definite that it happens. The USA wants to focus, instead, connected Rebuilding and Trade. A BIG week upcoming!" helium added.

In different station connected Sunday, the U.S. president said Ukraine should judge Putin's connection "to conscionable connected Thursday, successful Turkey, to negociate a imaginable extremity to the BLOODBATH." He added, however, that helium was "starting to uncertainty that Ukraine volition marque a woody with Putin."

Putin spoke Sunday to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who expressed readiness to big the talks, the Kremlin said.

According to the Kremlin's readout of the telephone call, Erdogan "fully supported the Russian proposal" and was acceptable to supply a level for the talks and assistance successful organizing them.

In a abstracted telephone telephone to Macron connected Sunday, Erdogan said that a "historic turning point" had been reached successful efforts to extremity the war, according to a connection from the Turkish statesmanlike communications office.

Questions implicit adjacent steps persist arsenic attacks continue

Zelenskyy successful his nightly video code connected Sunday said helium inactive expected a ceasefire to instrumentality clasp connected Monday, and that helium was inactive waiting for a "clear answer" from Russia astir it.

Zelenskyy said helium was besides waiting to spot absorption from Western allies who connected Saturday promised robust sanctions against Russia if Putin did not abide by the Monday truce.

"We person repeatedly heard from partners that they are acceptable to fortify sanctions against Russia if Putin refuses a ceasefire. We volition see," helium said.

He reiterated helium would beryllium contiguous successful Turkey connected Thursday. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov did not instantly respond to a connection from The Associated Press asking for a comment.

Meanwhile, Russia resumed wide drone attacks successful Ukraine aboriginal connected Sunday, aft its self-declared three-day intermission expired.

Russia launched 108 onslaught drones and simulator drones from six antithetic directions, Ukraine's aerial unit said. It said 60 drones were changeable down and different 41 simulator drones failed to scope targets owed to Ukrainian countermeasures.

The Russian Defense Ministry connected Sunday accused Ukraine of "violating" Moscow's three-day ceasefire much than 14,000 times. Ukraine, which did not hold to the May 8-10 ceasefire, has besides accused Russia of violating its ain truce, with the Ukrainian overseas curate calling it a farce.

A Russian authoritative connected Sunday evening besides accused Ukrainian forces of a rocket onslaught connected a municipality successful Russia's Kursk portion that borders Ukraine. Acting Gov. Alexander Khinshtein said connected Telegram that the onslaught "seriously damaged" a edifice successful Rylsk, a municipality eastbound of the Ukrainian border, and wounded 3 people.