Zelensky told what he will talk to Putin about
14 May 2025 08:08
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that if he meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin, he will talk about a complete ceasefire and the exchange of all prisoners. Zelensky said this in an interview with Liberation, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
“If I meet with him, we must come out with a political victory – a ceasefire, an exchange of all prisoners for all prisoners, or something like that,” he said.
At the same time, he emphasized that the presence of a third party is important. After all, he said, “the Russians will not trust” the Ukrainians and the Ukrainians “will not trust the Russians.” He believes that only external mediators can guarantee compliance with any agreements.
Zelenskyy emphasized that he insists on the need for reliable, balanced mediation that would be respected by both sides. In particular, he mentioned the United States as a possible guarantor of the control mechanism.
“The presence of US President Donald Trump may encourage the Russian ruler to come. If Putin does not come, it will look like a complete defeat for him,” he said.
The President called for new tough sanctions against Russia, in particular, by the United States and the European Union.
Regarding the possible duration of the conflict, Zelenskyy said: “No one knows how long it will last. But not for ten years. Ukraine will not stand it… It is expensive for everyone.”
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Positions of the parties on the upcoming talks in Istanbul
On the night of May 11, Russian leader Vladimir Putin announced his readiness for direct talks with the Ukrainian side, which are to take place in Istanbul on May 15. However, in his statement, he did not mention a single word about a possible 30-day ceasefire, as the Ukrainian side and its partners want.
US President Donald Trump said that Ukraine must urgently agree to the talks in Turkey proposed by Putin for May 15. At the same time, the American president did not pay attention to the absence of a 30-day truce clause in the Kremlin’s proposal.
Nevertheless, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed and wrote that he would personally wait for Putin in Turkey to meet on May 15. At the same time, he expressed hope that the ceasefire would begin on May 12.
However, after Zelenskyy’s agreement, no official statements have yet followed from the Kremlin. So now, for the first time, the Kremlin has officially confirmed that it is preparing for negotiations.
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