ALBAWABA - A Russian delegation for peace talks with Ukraine has already arrived in Istanbul, Turkey, according to Russian media.
According to The Guardian, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed the talks in a Kremlin address hours after Ukraine and European countries called on Moscow to agree to a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire starting Monday.
Earlier, Putin said he would not attend peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul, Turkey. In response, Ukraine's President Zelensky said he would only attend the talks if Putin was there.
Putin and Zelensky last meeting was in December 2019, and the warring countries (Russia and Ukraine) last held direct talks in March 2022 in Istanbul, the BBC added.
On May 14, Zelensky posted a video statement on X where he said: "Today we held several meetings with the team regarding the format in Türkiye. I am waiting to see who will come from Russia, and then I will decide which steps Ukraine should take. So far, the signals from them in the media are unconvincing."
Zelensky added: "Russia is only prolonging the war and the killings. I want to thank every country, every leader who is now putting pressure on Russia, so that the shelling finally stops, so that meaningful negotiations can take place at a level where real decisions can be made."
Furthermore, NATO head Mark Rutte says he is "cautiously optimistic" for a breakthrough in Ukraine-Russia peace talks as he is currently in Turkey and he held a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara.
