Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed to announce his trip to Turkey regardless of Vladimir Putin's plan, which raised stake in the pressure movement led by the West to engage Russian leaders in peace talks.
Zelenskyy intends to travel to Ankara on Thursday, where he will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and wait for Putin to arrive in Istanbul or anywhere else in Turkey.
"If he takes action and says he is ready for a ceasefire, it will open the way to discuss ways in which all elements end the war," Zelenskyy told reporters on Tuesday.
Zelenskyy said if Putin refuses to show "this means only one thing: Russia is not ready for negotiations." In this case, partners in the United States and Europe must follow the threat of their "strong sanctions" against Russia.
Germany's new prime minister Friedrich Merz said that if European countries agree not to "real progress" without Putin, European countries are working together.
Meles said he admired Zelenskyy's willingness to compromise, but added: "I believe more compromises and more concessions are no longer justified."
French President Emmanuel Macron also said he favors new sanctions on Russia in the coming days if Putin fails to agree to a ceasefire.
Zelenskyy said he would not want to meet with any Russian officials other than Putin because there were only "deals" with the Russian president.
According to Zelenskyy's office, if the leaders' meeting is not held, a team of Ukrainian negotiators can meet with Russia.
Putin first had the idea of meetings held by Russian and Ukrainian negotiators (but not leaders) in Istanbul in a brief speech on Sunday, and in the weeks that followed, Kinfu, Washington and the European capitals put weeks of pressure on them to agree to a 30-day unconditional ceasefire.
The Kremlin refused to clarify whether the Russian president would participate. Asked about Putin’s plans on Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “Russia continues to prepare for the talks” and will announce who will participate “once the president thinks it is necessary”.
On Monday, Peskov criticized the threat of more sanctions from the West as "inappropriate".
US President Donald Trump urged the two sides to hold talks as soon as possible.
Trump began his first foreign trip abroad as the second term of U.S. president on Tuesday, saying he is willing to join the negotiations between his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts in Turkey, "if I think the situation may happen, but we have to complete the negotiations."
The U.S. president said on Tuesday that Secretary of State and Acting National Security Adviser Marco Rubio will travel to Türkiye to attend.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov listed some of the topics Moscow expected to discuss in Istanbul, including “resolving issues related to the negativity of Russian officials,” a term used by Russian officials and propagandists to indicate changes in Ukraine’s leadership, especially Jews, Jews.
Ryabkov said the local “recognized reality”, including “new territory into the Russian Federation”, should also refer to the portion of Russian occupation in southern and eastern Ukraine.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine was seeking a direct, unconditional 30-day ceasefire, a prerequisite for wider formal negotiations.
He added that the ceasefire would conduct lower-level negotiations with the focus on implementation, security assurance and a broader downgrade framework, with the agreement.
Zelenskyy said Kiev is ready to implement it since the United States first proposed an unconditional ceasefire.
On the other hand, Russia continued to invade, attacking Ukraine with hundreds of missiles and drones and launching a new offensive on the 1,000-kilometer frontline.
Ukrainian Analytical Group Deeply, the Analytical Group of the State Defense Ministry said that Russian armed forces occupied more ground in eastern Donetsk this week, especially near flashpoint cities in Pokrovsk and Tolesk.
Ukrainian intelligence officials said Russia appears to be moving troops to major hot spots on the battlefield for a larger offensive, rather than getting ready to talk to peace.