Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskiy insists on face-to-face talks with Vladimir Putin in Istanbul
Zelenskiy said he expected the United States and European Union to impose "strong sanctions" if the talks did not take place. Both Moscow and Kyiv have sought to show they are working towards peace after Trump prioritised ending the war, which has raged since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, but have yet to agree any clear path. Putin on Sunday proposed direct talks with Ukraine, after ignoring a Ukrainian proposal for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire. Trump publicly told Zelenskiy to accept the proposal. The Ukrainian leader then said he would be waiting for Putin in Istanbul on Thursday, though the Kremlin chief had never made clear he intended to travel himself. Asked who would represent Russia at the talks, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said: "As soon as the president sees fit, we will announce it." TRUMP MAY ATTEND Kellogg, in an interview on Fox Business Network, said Trump would join the talks in Istanbul if Putin showed up. "We're hoping President Putin shows up as well, and then President Trump will be there. This could be an absolutely incredible meeting," he said. "We can get peace, I really believe, pretty fast if all three leaders sit down and talk." Reuters reported last year that Putin was open to discussing a ceasefire with Trump but that Moscow ruled out making any major territorial concessions and demanded that Kyiv abandon ambitions to join NATO. Ukraine has said it is ready for talks but a ceasefire is needed first, a position supported by its European allies. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying Moscow was ready for serious talks on Ukraine but doubted Kyiv's capacity for negotiations. The agencies quoted him as saying realities "on the ground" should be recognised, including the incorporation of what Moscow calls "new territories" into Russia - a reference to territory in Ukraine that is occupied by Russian forces. U.S. officials want Russia a comprehensive 30-day land, air, sea and critical infrastructure ceasefire, a senior U.S. official said.
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