Zelensky posted on social media Sunday calling for a “full and lasting ceasefire” to begin immediately and said he “will be waiting for Putin” in Istanbul on Thursday.
“We await a full and lasting ceasefire, starting from tomorrow, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy,” Zelensky wrote on X. His ask comes amid growing pressure from the Trump administration for Ukraine to engage directly with Moscow.
Earlier, Trump said Ukraine should “agree to this, IMMEDIATELY,” in response to Putin’s interest in direct negotiations. “At least they will be able to determine whether or not a deal is possible,” he wrote. Trump also criticized Ukraine’s reluctance to make a deal, saying, “I’m starting to doubt that Ukraine will make a deal with Putin, who’s too busy celebrating the Victory of World War ll, which could not have been won (not even close!) without the United States of America.” He concluded the post with, “HAVE THE MEETING, NOW!!!”
Putin responded to Ukraine’s original ceasefire proposal by rejecting the idea of an unconditional truce. Instead, he said Russia is open to holding talks in Istanbul “without preconditions,” during which a ceasefire could be negotiated. He emphasized that any truce must lead to a “lasting peace” rather than giving Ukraine time to rearm.
Zelensky, in his post, described it as “a positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war,” adding that “the very first step in truly ending any war is a ceasefire.” He is calling for a 30-day unconditional pause in fighting to pave the way for negotiations.
Trump, who is heading to the Middle East next week on his first trip to the region since returning to office, also commented on Putin’s statement several hours later. “Think of the hundreds of thousands of lives that will be saved as this never-ending ‘bloodbath’ hopefully comes to an end,” he sai. “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!”
The president made several claims on the campaign trail that he’d be able to bring the conflict to a quick end. The war is now rapidly approaching its fourth year.
