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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nKyiv\/Moscow, May 13 (EFE).\u2014 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Tuesday ruled out talks with Russian officials and insists he will only meet face-to-face with President Vladimir Putin, who has yet to confirm his attendance at proposed peace talks in Turkey.<\/p>
This underscoring Kyiv\u2019s push to hold Moscow directly accountable for ending the war as the invitation is for a potential meeting in Istanbul on Thursday.<\/p>
Mykhailo Podoliak, an adviser to the Ukrainian Presidential Office, said Zelenskyy would \u201cof course not\u201d meet with anyone other than Putin, signaling Kyiv\u2019s refusal to legitimize indirect talks.<\/p>
In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Russia plans to send a delegation to Turkey but declined to name any participants.<\/p>
\u201cWhen the president deems it necessary, we will announce it,\u201d Peskov told reporters during his daily press conference.<\/p>
Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo\u011fan in Ankara on Thursday.<\/p>
If Putin agrees to the talks, both leaders are expected to travel to Istanbul for what would be their first in-person meeting since 2019, when they last met in Paris under the Normandy Format.<\/p>
The Ukrainian leader is determined not to allow Putin any excuse to avoid attending in person.<\/p>
Kyiv hopes that if the meeting takes place, Putin will agree to a ceasefire that could pave the way for more detailed negotiations.<\/p>
Ukraine and Russia have not held direct peace talks since the failed negotiations in Istanbul in 2022.<\/p>
On Sunday, Putin declined to extend a short-lived unilateral ceasefire declared for the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory in World War II.<\/p>
However, he expressed willingness to hold direct negotiations with Kyiv on Thursday in Istanbul, prompting Zelenskyy to challenge him publicly to meet face-to-face.<\/p>
Trump Signals Support<\/b><\/p>
The potential summit has garnered support from US President Donald Trump, who has refrained from criticizing Russia\u2019s refusal to declare a broader ceasefire, despite calls from Washington for de-escalation.<\/p>
Trump has even said he is considering attending the talks in Turkey if they happen.<\/p>
According to CNN, Trump will send two representatives: Steve Witkoff, his special envoy for the Middle East and Russia, and Keith Kellogg, his envoy to Ukraine.<\/p>
Europe Pushes for Ceasefire<\/b><\/p>
European leaders are watching developments closely. Germany\u2019s new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said Tuesday that Berlin and other European allies are prepared to impose new sanctions on Russia if peace efforts fail this week.<\/p>
\u201cNow the ball is in Russia’s court,\u201d Merz said. Over the weekend in Kyiv, he joined leaders from France, the UK, and Poland in threatening additional sanctions if Moscow failed to declare a 30-day ceasefire by Monday.<\/p>
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul warned of \u201cconsequences\u201d should Russia undermine the planned negotiations in Turkey.\u201cRussia cannot leave the chair empty. If it truly wants peace, it must show up,\u201d he said.<\/p>
From Copenhagen, the EU\u2019s High Representative for Foreign Policy, Kaja Kallas, criticized what she called a lack of genuine Russian interest in ending the war.<\/p>
\u201cPutin has clearly shown that he still wants the war,\u201d said Kallas. She praised Zelenskyy\u2019s initiative to propose direct talks and cast doubt on whether Putin \u201cwould dare\u201d to attend. EFE<\/p>
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