KYIV, Ukraine (AP) 鈥 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy said he is hoping for a full and temporary ceasefire with Russia starting Monday, adding he would be in Turkey to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin 鈥減ersonally.鈥
His comments came after U.S. President Donald Trump insisted Ukraine accept Russia鈥檚 latest offer of holding direct talks in Turkey on Thursday. Ukraine, along with European allies, had demanded Russia accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire starting on Monday before holding talks, but Moscow effectively rejected the proposal and called for direct negotiations instead.
It was not clear if Zelenskyy was conditioning his presence in Turkey on the Monday ceasefire holding.
鈥淲e await a full and lasting ceasefire, starting from tomorrow, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy. There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will be waiting for Putin in T眉rkiye on Thursday. Personally. I hope that this time the Russians will not look for excuses,鈥 he wrote on X.
Trump said in a social media post Sunday that Ukraine should agree to Putin's peace talks proposal 鈥淚MMEDIATELY.鈥
鈥淎t least they will be able to determine whether or not a deal is possible, and if it is not, European leaders, and the U.S., will know where everything stands, and can proceed accordingly!鈥 Trump wrote, adding: 鈥淗AVE THE MEETING, NOW!!!鈥
Ukraine, allies insist on a ceasefire
Zelenskyy, writing on X on Sunday, said it was a 鈥減ositive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war鈥 and said that 鈥渢he entire world has been waiting for this for a very long time.鈥
He added, however, that 鈥渢he very first step in truly ending any war is a ceasefire,鈥 in a reference to his proposal to start a 30-day unconditional truce on Monday.
in remarks to the media overnight effectively rejected that ceasefire offer and proposed in Istanbul on Thursday instead 鈥渨ithout preconditions.鈥 He said a ceasefire might be agreed on during the negotiations 鈥 but stressed that the Kremlin needs a truce that would lead to a 鈥渓asting peace鈥 instead of one that would allow Ukraine to rearm and mobilize more men into its armed forces.
Putin鈥檚 counter-offer came after leaders from four major European countries threatened to Moscow if it does not accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk met with Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Saturday and issued a coordinated call for the truce starting Monday. The plan has received backing from both the European Union and Trump.
The leaders pledged tougher sanctions on Russia if Putin did not accept the proposal.
Zelenskyy, in his Sunday remarks, reiterated that call. 鈥淭here is no point in continuing the killing even for a single day. We expect Russia to confirm a ceasefire 鈥 full, lasting, and reliable 鈥 starting tomorrow, May 12th, and Ukraine is ready to meet,鈥 the Ukrainian leader said on X.
Macron said Sunday that Putin鈥檚 offer of direct negotiations with Ukraine is 鈥渁 first step, but not enough,鈥 signaling continued Western skepticism toward Moscow鈥檚 intentions.
鈥淎n unconditional ceasefire is not preceded by negotiations,鈥 Macron told reporters at the Polish-Ukrainian border, according to French media.
Macron also warned that Putin is 鈥渓ooking for a way out, but he still wants to buy time.鈥
Moscow presses on with peace talks offer. Turkey says it鈥檚 ready to host
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in comments aired by Russian state TV on Sunday, called Putin鈥檚 proposal 鈥渧ery serious,鈥 aimed at eliminating 鈥渢he root causes of the conflict,鈥 and said it 鈥渃onfirms a real intention to find a peaceful solution.鈥
Without directly mentioning Moscow鈥檚 proposal, Trump said in a social media post several hours after Putin鈥檚 overnight remarks that it was 鈥渁 potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine!鈥
鈥淭hink of the hundreds of thousands of lives that will be saved as this never ending 鈥榖loodbath鈥 hopefully comes to an end,鈥 Trump wrote. 鈥淚 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!鈥 he added.
In another post on Sunday, the U.S. president said Ukraine should accept Moscow's offer 鈥渢o meet on Thursday, in Turkey, to negotiate a possible end to the BLOODBATH.鈥 He added, however, that he was 鈥渟tarting to doubt that Ukraine will make a deal with Putin.鈥
Putin spoke Sunday to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who expressed readiness to host the talks, the Kremlin said.
According to the Kremlin鈥檚 readout of the phone call, Erdogan 鈥渇ully supported the Russian proposal, emphasizing his readiness to provide鈥 a platform for the talks in Istanbul, as well as 鈥渁ll possible assistance in organizing and holding the negotiations aimed at achieving sustainable peace.鈥
Erdogan also spoke to Macron on Sunday, according to a statement from the Turkish presidential communications office, and said that a 鈥渉istoric turning point鈥 had been reached in efforts to end the war.
Russian attacks continue
Meanwhile, Russia resumed in Ukraine early on Sunday, after its self-declared three-day pause expired.
Russia launched 108 attack drones and simulator drones from six different directions, Ukraine鈥檚 air force said. It said 60 drones were shot down and another 41 simulator drones failed to reach targets due to Ukrainian countermeasures.
The Russian Defense Ministry on Sunday accused Ukraine of 鈥渧iolating鈥 Moscow鈥檚 three-day ceasefire more than 14,000 times. Ukraine, which did not agree to the May 8-10 ceasefire, has also accused Russia of violating its own truce, with the Ukrainian foreign minister calling it a farce.
鈥斺赌
Litvinova reported from Tallinn, Estonia. Associated Press writers Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, and Thomas Adamson-Koumbouzis in Paris contributed to this report.
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