From 14 May 2025 11.48 BST Trump says he does not know if Putin will show up to talks in Turkey US president Donald Trump on Wednesday said he did not know if Russian President Vladimir Putin would show up for talks on the war in Ukraine planned for Thursday in Turkey. “He’d like me to be there, and that’s a possibility. . … I don’t know that he would be there if I’m not there. We’re going to find out,” Trump told reporters traveling aboard Air Force One en route to Qatar, according to Reuters. US president Donald Trump speaks during the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday. Photograph: Alex Brandon/AP Trump has said he may visit Turkey for the talks as part of his trip to the Middle East this week. Share Updated at 11.49 BST

14 May 2025 17.10 BST Closing summary Kyiv still has not received an answer from Moscow over whether Russian president Vladimir Putin will travel for potential peace talks in Turkey , a Ukrainian official told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Wednesday, hours before Moscow said they were due to start.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov will not participate in peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul on Thursday, the Kommersant daily reported. Reuters could not immediately confirm the Kommersant report, which did not identify a source.

US president Donald Trump ’s envoy Steve Witkoff said he and secretary of state Marco Rubio would travel to Istanbul on Friday for Russia-Ukraine talks.

A Ukrainian diplomatic source told Reuters on Wednesday that Ukraine’s leadership would decide on its next steps for peace talks in Turkey once there was clarity on Vladimir Putin’s participation. “Everything will depend on whether Putin is scared of coming to Istanbul or not. Based on his response, the Ukrainian leadership will decide on the next steps,” the source said.

German chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged on Wednesday to build up “the strongest conventional army in Europe” as the continent faces a hostile Russia while the Ukraine war rages on, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP). “This is appropriate for Europe’s most populous and economically powerful country,” Merz told parliament. “Our friends and partners also expect this from us. Indeed, they practically demand it.”

The United States and Europe must put together new sanctions to “suffocate” Russia ’s economy in order to force Vladimir Putin to end the war against Ukraine , France’s foreign minister said on Wednesday, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Three Ukrainian nationals have been arrested on suspicion of plotting parcel bomb attacks in Germany on behalf of the Russian state, prosecutors said. The German federal prosecutor’s office said on Wednesday that the men, identified only as Vladyslav T , Daniil B and Yevhen B , in line with German privacy rules, had been detained in recent days in Germany and Switzerland .

Brazil ’s president said on Wednesday he would press Vladimir Putin in person to attend negotiations with Ukraine ’s Volodymyr Zelensky y in Turkey , adding to calls on the Russian leader to enter talks and end Moscow ’s invasion.

Failure to achieve a just peace that respects Ukraine ’s territorial integrity would undermine international law and cause chaos worldwide, United Nations secretary general António Guterres warned on Wednesday. “It is extremely important in a moment like this that international law prevails,” he said at a conference in Berlin on the UN’s peacekeeping operation.

The foreign ministers of Turkey and Ukraine discussed efforts to reach a ceasefire and lasting peace between Russia and Ukraine, and president Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s planned Ankara visit, during a meeting on Wednesday, a Turkish foreign ministry source said. Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan and Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha met ahead of an informal Nato foreign ministers’ meeting in the southern Turkish province of Antalya.

Russian president Vladimir Putin has an invitation to visit Iran , but the dates have not yet been agreed, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday, according to Reuters.

Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday offered to mediate between leaders of countries at war, saying that he himself “will make every effort so that this peace may prevail”, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).

President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that France did not want to unleash “World War III” over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and vowed referendums on key issues as he outlined his aims for the remaining two years of his mandate in a marathon television appearance, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP). Share

14 May 2025 16.48 BST Pjotr Sauer In case you missed it earlier, the Kremlin is refusing for the third straight day to say if Vladimir Putin will travel to Istanbul on Thursday, or who will represent Russia at the potential peace talks, as international pressure builds on the Russian leader to meet Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, told journalists in Moscow that he would announce the composition of the Russian delegation “once we receive the relevant instructions from the president”. “So far, no such instructions have been given,” he added. Zelenskyy challenged Putin to a personal meeting in Turkey after the Russian leader used an unexpected late-night Kremlin address to call for direct Russia-Ukraine negotiations in Istanbul. Kremlin tight-lipped for third day on whether Putin will meet Zelenskyy Read more Share

14 May 2025 16.18 BST Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov will not participate in peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul on Thursday, the Kommersant daily reported. Reuters could not immediately confirm the Kommersant report, which did not identify a source. US president Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin were still “maybes” for what could be the first direct peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv in years after the Kremlin on Wednesday held off disclosing who would represent Russia. Share

14 May 2025 15.58 BST Kyiv still has not received an answer from Moscow over whether Russian president Vladimir Putin will travel for potential peace talks in Turkey, a Ukrainian official told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Wednesday, hours before Moscow said they were due to start. “President Zelensky made this offer for a Thursday meeting back on Sunday, three days ago,” the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP. “As of Wednesday afternoon, we still haven’t got any response from Putin.” Share

14 May 2025 15.48 BST Pjotr Sauer Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy have met only once, in 2019, and Moscow has repeatedly portrayed the Ukrainian leader as illegitimate. In Istanbul, Ukraine is expected to call for a full 30-day ceasefire as a starting point for further talks. Moscow has consistently rejected extended ceasefire proposals, arguing they would give Ukraine time to rearm and regroup at a moment when Russian forces are advancing on the battlefield. Russian officials have indicated they will press for maximalist demands in Istanbul, similar to those made during the failed round of talks in Turkey in spring 2022. European leaders have promised to increase pressure on Russia if the talks in Turkey failed, but the key question remains whether they can bring Donald Trump onboard with their efforts to tighten the screws on Moscow. Kremlin tight-lipped for third day on whether Putin will meet Zelenskyy Read more Share

14 May 2025 15.37 BST German chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged on Wednesday to build up “the strongest conventional army in Europe” as the continent faces a hostile Russia while the Ukraine war rages on, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP). “This is appropriate for Europe’s most populous and economically powerful country,” Merz told parliament. “Our friends and partners also expect this from us. Indeed, they practically demand it.” In his first major address to the Bundestag since his government was inaugurated last week, Merz vowed to “provide all financial means necessary” for the long-underfunded defence forces. “Our goal is a Germany and a Europe that are so strong together that we never have to use our weapons,” Merz said. “To achieve this, we will have to assume more responsibility within Nato and the EU.” US president Donald Trump has demanded that Germany and other allies spend more on common defence and thrown into doubt Washington’s future commitment to the transatlantic military alliance. Merz warned on Wednesday that “anyone who seriously believes that Russia would be satisfied with a victory over Ukraine or with the annexation of parts of the country is mistaken”. “Strengthening the Bundeswehr [armed forces] is our top priority,” Merz said. “The German government will provide all the financial resources the Bundeswehr needs to become Europe’s strongest conventional army.” “Strength deters aggressors, while weakness invites aggression,” he added. He also emphasised continued support for Ukraine but also said that “we are not a party to war, and we don’t want to become one”. Share

14 May 2025 15.25 BST Witkoff and Rubio to go to Turkey on Friday for Russia-Ukraine talks US president Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff said he and secretary of state Marco Rubio would travel to Istanbul on Friday for Russia-Ukraine talks. According to Reuters, Witkoff told reporters in Doha that it was unclear if Russian president Vladimir Putin will attend the planned talks. Share

14 May 2025 15.09 BST Deborah Cole Three Ukrainian nationals have been arrested on suspicion of plotting parcel bomb attacks in Germany on behalf of the Russian state, prosecutors said. The German federal prosecutor’s office said on Wednesday that the men, identified only as Vladyslav T, Daniil B and Yevhen B, in line with German privacy rules, had been detained in recent days in Germany and Switzerland. They are accused of “secret agent activity for sabotage purposes” and of agreeing by, at the latest, March 2025 “with one or several persons presumed to be working for Russian state institutions” to carry out “aggravated arson” and “cause a detonation using explosives”. The prosecutors alleged the men’s intent had been to carry out “explosives attacks on cargo transport in the Federal Republic of Germany” by shipping parcels from Germany to recipients in Ukraine carrying “explosives or incendiary devices” that would “detonate during transport”. Vladyslav T allegedly sent two test packages containing GPS trackers in late March from Cologne, in western Germany, “to scout out suitable transport routes” on the orders of Yevhen B, who is believed to have provided the package contents via Daniil B. Yevhen B, who was arrested on Tuesday in Thurgau, in north-east Switzerland, has been transferred to German custody. German authorities arrested Vladyslav T on Friday in Cologne and Daniil B on Saturday in the south-western city of Konstanz. Germany arrests three Ukrainians over alleged Russian parcel bomb plot Read more Share

14 May 2025 14.43 BST Uphold international law on Ukraine or face chaos worldwide, says UN’s Guterres Failure to achieve a just peace that respects Ukraine’s territorial integrity would undermine international law and cause chaos worldwide, United Nations secretary general António Guterres warned on Wednesday. “It is extremely important in a moment like this that international law prevails,” he said at a conference in Berlin on the UN’s peacekeeping operations, adding: Otherwise we are paving the way for chaos around the world. German defence minister Boris Pistorius added that there were no indications that Russian president Vladimir Putin was seriously considering a ceasefire, reports Reuters. Share

14 May 2025 14.01 BST The foreign ministers of Turkey and Ukraine discussed efforts to reach a ceasefire and lasting peace between Russia and Ukraine, and president Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s planned Ankara visit, during a meeting on Wednesday, a Turkish foreign ministry source said. Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan and Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha met ahead of an informal Nato foreign ministers’ meeting in the southern Turkish province of Antalya. The source said Fidan reiterated Turkey’s readiness to host any Ukraine-Russia peace talks, without elaborating. Share

14 May 2025 13.39 BST Kate Connolly Speaking to the German parliament right now in what is his first full address, the new chancellor Friedrich Merz has outlined at the start some of the huge challenges facing Germany, and has very quickly steered towards the subject of Ukraine. He makes clear that Germany will continue on the course of the previous government to support Ukraine against its aggressor, Russia. “Russia has broken all the rules that have governed our coexistence in Europe since the end of the Second World War, and above all, since overcoming the division of Europe,” he says. What’s going on in Ukraine, he adds, makes clear that “nothing less than the peaceful order of our entire continent is at stake. In this historic moment of decisiveness, Europe must stand closer together than ever.” For more than three years, “Russia’s war of aggression has been raging in Ukraine.” The outcome of the war, he says, will not only determine the fate of Ukraine, but also “whether law and order will continue to prevail in Europe and the world, or whether tyranny, military force and the naked right of the strongest will prevail.” He pledges to continue Germany’s military support of Ukraine, but also to turn Germany’s national military, the Bundeswehr, into the strongest conventional army in Europe by consistently expanding it and investing the necessary resources in it. “We want to be in a position to be able to defend ourselves so that we’re not in a position of having to defend ourselves”. “Strength deters, weakness invites aggression,” he added, to applause in the full chamber, adding that for Europe’s most populous and economically strongest country, this is “nothing more than appropriate.” After thanking Germany’s armed forces, he announced the introduction of a “new, attractive, voluntary military service to meet the personnel needs of the armed forces”. We expect more details on this new development to follow. Share

14 May 2025 13.20 BST A Ukrainian diplomatic source told Reuters on Wednesday that Ukraine’s leadership would decide on its next steps for peace talks in Turkey once there was clarity on Vladimir Putin’s participation. “Everything will depend on whether Putin is scared of coming to Istanbul or not. Based on his response, the Ukrainian leadership will decide on the next steps,” the source said. If Putin agrees to join, it would be the first meeting between the leaders of the two warring countries since December 2019. Direct talks between negotiators from Ukraine and Russia last took place in Istanbul in March 2022, a month after Putin sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine. Share

14 May 2025 12.48 BST ‘Dictated peace’ in Ukraine would be unacceptable, says Germany’s Merz German chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Wednesday that there must not be any settlement in Ukraine in the form of a “dictated peace” from Moscow, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP). Addressing parliament, Merz said there must be “no submission to militarily created facts against Ukraine’s will”. According to Reuters, Merz also said the west must not allow itself to be divided on Ukraine, adding that he was working to ensure unity between European and US partners on how to end the war. View image in fullscreen Friedrich Merz gives his first speech as German chancellor in parliament in Berlin. Photograph: Markus Schreiber/AP The west could not accept a submission to the facts achieved on the ground by Russia’s military, he said in his first major speech to parliament since becoming chancellor last week. “We hope and are working hard to ensure that this clear stance is upheld not only throughout Europe, but also by our American partners,” Merz said. Share Updated at 12.53 BST

14 May 2025 12.23 BST Ukraine’s leadership will decide on its next steps for peace talks in Turkey once there is clarity on Russian president Vladimir Putin’s participation, a Ukrainian diplomatic source told Reuters on Wednesday. “Everything will depend on whether Putin is scared of coming to Istanbul or not. Based on his response, the Ukrainian leadership will decide on the next steps,” the source said. Share

14 May 2025 12.10 BST France urges new sanctions to ‘suffocate’ Russian economy The United States and Europe must put together new sanctions to “suffocate” Russia’s economy in order to force Vladimir Putin to end the war against Ukraine, France’s foreign minister said on Wednesday, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP). The EU on Wednesday approved a fresh package of sanctions on Russia (see 8.57am BST), but Jean-Noël Barrot sadi that multiple rounds of punitive measures have failed to halt Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, now in its fourth year. “We will have to go further, because these massive sanctions have not yet deterred Vladimir Putin from continuing his war of aggression against Ukraine,” Barrot told broadcaster BFMTV. He said: We must prepare to impose devastating sanctions that could suffocate the Russian economy once and for all. Barrot said that he was to meet US Senator Lindsey Graham in Turkey on Thursday to discuss a US sanctions bill he was working on. Graham has rallied dozens of lawmakers to support a plan to impose additional sanctions on Moscow as well as tariffs on countries that buy Russian energy. Graham “has designed a package of extremely powerful sanctions”, with tariffs of 500% on countries that continue to import Russian oil, the French foreign minister said. “Russia has found ways to circumvent the blockade imposed by Europe and the United States,” Barrot said. “Turning off the tap in this way is a way of grabbing Russia by the throat,” he added. “I hope that Europe will in turn be able to impose sanctions on hydrocarbons,” Barrot said. Share

14 May 2025 11.48 BST Trump says he does not know if Putin will show up to talks in Turkey US president Donald Trump on Wednesday said he did not know if Russian President Vladimir Putin would show up for talks on the war in Ukraine planned for Thursday in Turkey. “He’d like me to be there, and that’s a possibility. . … I don’t know that he would be there if I’m not there. We’re going to find out,” Trump told reporters traveling aboard Air Force One en route to Qatar, according to Reuters. View image in fullscreen US president Donald Trump speaks during the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday. Photograph: Alex Brandon/AP Trump has said he may visit Turkey for the talks as part of his trip to the Middle East this week. Share Updated at 11.49 BST

14 May 2025 11.39 BST Putin has invitation to visit Iran, but dates have yet to be set, Kremlin says Russian president Vladimir Putin has an invitation to visit Iran, but the dates have not yet been agreed, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday, according to Reuters. Iran’s government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani was quoted by Russian state news agency RIA Novosti on Tuesday as saying that Putin’s visit to Iran “is currently being worked out”. Moscow and Tehran signed a 20-year strategic partnership agreement in January, the two countries have supplied each other with weapons, and Russia has defended what it says is Tehran’s right to peaceful nuclear energy. “Indeed, President Putin has an invitation to pay an official or working visit to Iran. The dates have not yet been agreed. As soon as they are agreed, we will inform you,” Peskov told reporters when asked about a possible visit. He added: We highly value our partnership with this country and we highly value the depth of our relationship in a wide variety of areas. The last time Putin visited Iran was in 2022, months after he sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine. Share

For years, Kash Patel and Dan Bongino have said the Biden administration and corrupt “deep state” actors “weaponized” the FBI against Trump.

They accused the bureau of covering up what it knew about pipe bombs placed before the Jan. 6 attack. They suggested that FBI operatives helped ignite the Capitol riot. They said FBI agents committed crimes and tried to “overthrow” Trump.

When Patel and Bongino did that, they weren’t just saying they disagreed with FBI investigative or prosecution decisions. They were accusing people of federal crimes. It would be illegal to investigate and prosecute someone because you didn’t like their political beliefs, which is what they are saying happened. And there is no evidence to support that.

Now that the two men lead the FBI, Director Patel and Deputy Director Bongino find themselves in an awkward position. Large numbers of Trump supporters still believe all those things, and some are publicly asking: Why haven’t Bongino and Patel exposed the “truth” about the “deep state” they promised? Why isn’t the Trump administration arresting and prosecuting the people Patel labeled “government gangsters”?

Read the full story here.

Putin not on Kremlin list of officials attending Ukraine peace talks in Turkey

US President Donald Trump will also not be attending, according to media reports, despite previously hinting he would if Putin were there.

Zelensky had previously said he would attend the talks and meet Putin in person if the Russian president agreed, and said he would do everything he could to ensure the face-to-face meeting took place.

Russia’s delegation will instead be headed by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, according to the Kremlin statement.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is not among the names listed by the Kremlin as being due to attend peace talks on the war in Ukraine in Istanbul on Thursday, despite calls from Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky for him to attend.

The talks are scheduled for 10:00 local time (08:00 BST) in Istanbul’s Dolmabahce Palace and will be closed to the press, Russian news agency TASS reported, citing a source familiar with the matter.

Zelensky will be in the Turkish capital Ankara on Thursday to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

He said he would attend direct talks in Istanbul with Russia, but only if Putin also attended.

“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,” he said in his nightly video address on Wednesday.

Putin and Zelensky have not met in person since December 2019. Russia and Ukraine last held direct negotiations in March 2022 in Istanbul, shortly after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of its neighbour.

Fighting has raged in Ukraine since then. Russian forces have slowly expanded the amount of territory they control over the past year, mostly in the east of Ukraine.

On Sunday Putin called for direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in Turkey’s largest city “without pre-conditions”. Zelensky then announced he would go in person and expected the Russian president to travel as well.

Putin’s suggestion of direct talks in Istanbul followed Western powers’ call for a 30-day ceasefire, after European leaders met in Kyiv on Saturday.

After Trump called for Ukraine to accept the offer on Sunday, Zelensky said he would travel there himself.

“There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will be waiting for Putin in Türkiye on Thursday. Personally,” Zelensky wrote in a social media post.

Earlier on Wednesday, Trump had floated the possibility of joining the meeting himself if Putin did.

The US president, who is currently in Qatar, told reporters he did not know if his Russian counterpart would attend “if I’m not there”.

“I know he would like me to be there, and that’s a possibility. If we could end the war, I’d be thinking about that,” Trump said.

In a phone call with Putin on Wednesday, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva reportedly asked his Russian counterpart to attend the talks and congratulated him on proposing them.

The US is expected to send a high-level delegation to the talks.

The country’s top diplomat, Marco Rubio, arrived in Turkey on Wednesday, where he will meet Nato foreign ministers on Thursday.

Ahead of that meeting, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said he met Rubio on Wednesday evening. Sybiha said he had reaffirmed Ukraine’s commitment to US peace efforts, and called on Russia to “reciprocate Ukraine’s constructive steps”.

Rubio plans to travel onwards to Istanbul on Friday, where the State Department says he will attend talks with European counterparts to discuss the war in Ukraine.

Arriving at his hotel in Antalya on Wednesday, Rubio did not answer when the BBC asked him if Putin would be coming to Turkey.

Since returning to the White House, President Trump has sought to broker a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.

He ended a years-long Western boycott of Russia’s leader by speaking to Putin over the phone in February, and his envoy Steve Witkoff has met Vladimir Putin for talks in Moscow.

Trump has previously said Russia and Ukraine were “very close to a deal”.

On Sunday, when Putin proposed the direct talks, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform: “A potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine!”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has demanded Russia observe a ceasefire beginning on Monday and challenged Vladimir Putin to meet in person for peace talks in Istanbul on Thursday. The comments came on Sunday after the Russian president rejected a demand from Ukraine and European allies to sign up to a 30-day ceasefire, but said Russia was ready for direct negotiations with Ukraine in Turkey.

“We await a full and lasting ceasefire, starting from tomorrow [Monday], to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy,” the Ukrainian president said in a statement. “There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will be waiting for Putin in Türkiye on Thursday. Personally. I hope that this time the Russians will not look for excuses.”

It was not clear if Zelenskyy was conditioning his presence in Istanbul on the Monday ceasefire holding, and there was no immediate comment from the Kremlin on whether Putin would go. In the early hours of Sunday, Putin had rejected a proposal by Kyiv and its European allies for a 30-day ceasefire, instead demanding direct talks with Ukraine without preconditions. He did not say who would attend.

US President Donald Trump had put pressure on Zelenskyy to take up the offer of talks, posting “HAVE THE MEETING, NOW!!!” on his Truth Social platform. Zelenskyy’s comments came shortly afterwards. Trump wrote: “President Putin of Russia doesn’t want to have a Cease Fire Agreement with Ukraine, but rather wants to meet on Thursday, in Turkey, to negotiate a possible end to the BLOODBATH. Ukraine should agree to this, IMMEDIATELY. At 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!”

Ukraine’s European allies insisted on a ceasefire being implemented before any direct talks between Kyiv and Moscow. Russia’s offer to negotiate directly with Ukraine was “a good sign” but “far from sufficient”, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Sunday. “We expect Moscow to agree to a ceasefire that allows real talks to take place. First the weapons must be silenced, then the discussions can begin,” he said in a statement. French President Emmanuel Macron also insisted on “the necessity for a ceasefire”, the Élysée Palace said adding that Macron had spoken earlier on Sunday to his German, British and Polish counterparts, as well as Trump and Zelenskyy.

Russian secret services were behind a massive fire that nearly completely destroyed a Warsaw shopping centre in May 2024, Polish prime minister Donald Tusk said on Sunday after a year of investigation into the case. “We already know for sure that the large fire on Marywilska was the result of arson ordered by Russian services. The actions were coordinated by a person staying in Russia. Some of the perpetrators are already in custody, the rest have been identified and are being sought,” Tusk said on X.

Pope Leo XIV has called for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and pleaded for an end to global conflicts in his first Sunday address at the Vatican. “I carry in my heart the sufferings of the beloved Ukrainian people,” he said. “Let everything possible be done to achieve genuine, just and lasting peace as soon as possible.”

The Ukrainian leader will travel to meet Turkiye’s Erdogan and see if his Russian counterpart turns up.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he will travel to Turkiye this week and wait to have face-to-face talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid intensive pressure from the United States administration and European leaders to find a settlement to end the more than three-year-long war.

Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that he will be in Ankara on Thursday to conduct the negotiations. He will meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and the two will wait for Putin to arrive, he said. Zelenskyy and Erdogan would then both travel to Istanbul.

Putin has not yet said whether he will be at the talks he proposed. Moscow has not directly responded to Zelenskyy’s challenge for Putin to meet him in person at the negotiating table.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov again refused on Tuesday to tell reporters whether Putin will travel to Istanbul and who else might represent Russia at the potential talks. “As soon as the president considers it necessary, we will make an announcement,” Peskov said. Russia has only said it would send a delegation to Istanbul “without preconditions”.

If Zelenskyy and Putin were to meet on Thursday, it would be their first face-to-face meeting since December 2019. Much has changed since then.

US and European pressure

United States President Donald Trump has urged the two sides to attend as part of Washington’s efforts to stop the fighting. Trump has offered to join the talks himself.

Trump said on Monday he was “thinking about actually flying over” to Istanbul to attend the negotiations. That was welcomed by Zelenskyy, but there was no reaction from Moscow.

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“All of us in Ukraine would appreciate it if President Trump could be there with us at this meeting in Turkiye. This is the right idea. We can change a lot,” Zelenskyy said.

Trump publicly asked Zelenskyy to attend, after Putin on Sunday proposed the direct talks following a rejection of a 30-day ceasefire that Ukraine and its Western allies insisted should come first.

The Ukrainian leader said he would, but that Putin should also attend in person. On Tuesday, his adviser Mykhailo Podolyak reiterated that Zelenskyy would only meet Putin and no other members of the Russian delegation.

Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pressed again for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire on Tuesday. “We are waiting for Putin’s agreement,” he said.

“We agree that, in case there is no real progress this week, we then want to push at European level for a significant tightening of sanctions … We will focus on further areas, such as the energy sector and the financial market,” Merz added.

He welcomed Zelenskyy’s readiness to travel to Istanbul, “but now it is really up to Putin to accept this offer of negotiations and agree to a ceasefire. The ball is in Russia’s court.”

French President Emmanuel Macron voiced support for fresh sanctions against Russia, warning they could be rolled out within days should Moscow fail to observe a ceasefire.

Speaking on Tuesday, Macron pointed to financial services and the energy sector—including oil and gas—as likely targets.

His comments follow a joint warning issued over the weekend by the UK, France, Germany and Poland, who said Russia would face tougher punitive measures unless it complied with demands for a 30-day ceasefire by Monday which Moscow has refused to do.

I have just heard President Trump’s statement. Very important words. I supported @POTUS idea of a full and unconditional ceasefire — long enough to provide the foundation for diplomacy. And we want it, we are ready to uphold silence on our end. I supported President Trump… — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 12, 2025

Fighting drags on

Meanwhile, Ukraine said its air defence units destroyed all 10 drones that Russia launched overnight on Tuesday. This is the lowest number of drones that Russia has launched in an overnight attack in several weeks.

The Ukrainian military’s general staff said as of 10pm (19:00 GMT) on Monday, there had been 133 clashes with Russian forces along the front line since midnight, when the ceasefire proposed by European powers was to have come into effect.

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Ukraine’s top commander, Oleksandr Syrskii, was quoted by Zelenskyy as saying the heaviest fighting still gripped the Donetsk region, the focus of the eastern front, and Russia’s western Kursk region, nine months after Kyiv’s forces staged a cross-border incursion.

Meanwhile, Russia accused Ukraine of attacking Belgorod, with Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov saying on Tuesday that Ukrainian forces used 65 drones and more than 100 rounds of ammunition to attack the region in the past day.