Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has agreed to participate in negotiations in Turkey on May 15, but only if Russian President Vladimir Putin also takes part. Zelensky shared this in his Telegram channel, responding to U.S. President Donald Trump’s earlier proposal.

He also emphasized that Kyiv expects full implementation of a ceasefire starting May 12, according to Unian.net .

“The war with Russia must end. The killings must stop. Ukrainian forces will respond in kind, to ensure fairness. We have repeatedly heard from partners that they are ready to strengthen sanctions against Russia if Putin rejects a ceasefire. We’ll see.

Here in Ukraine, we have no issue with holding negotiations—we’re ready for any format. I will be in Turkey this Thursday, May 15, and I expect Putin to be there. In person. I hope he won’t come up with excuses this time. We’re ready to talk—to end the war. Thursday. Turkey. President Trump supported it. All leaders supported it,” Zelensky said.

Earlier, President Donald Trump urged Ukraine to immediately agree to negotiations proposed by Putin, scheduled for May 15 in Turkey.

“President Putin doesn’t want a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine—he wants a meeting on Thursday (May 15) in Turkey to discuss ending this bloody war. Ukraine must agree immediately,” Trump said.

He added this would help determine whether a resolution is possible: “If not, European leaders and the U.S. will understand the situation and take appropriate steps.”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to visit Turkey from May 11 to 14, accompanying President Trump on visits to Saudi Arabia and Qatar to strengthen regional cooperation and discuss global security. He will then attend the NATO foreign ministers' summit in Antalya from May 14 to 16, where the focus will be Ukraine’s war and reinforcing alliance commitments, reports The Kyiv Independent.

This visit coincides with Moscow’s announcement that Russia is prepared to resume peace talks with Ukraine starting May 15 in Istanbul. However, Moscow has yet to agree to the unconditional 30-day ceasefire demanded by the U.S., Ukraine, and key European allies.

“The Secretary’s meetings with top officials will advance global and regional solutions, expand bilateral trade and investment, and reaffirm our strategic partnerships,” the White House said in a statement.

At the NATO summit, Rubio is also expected to highlight Trump’s agenda, stressing that “allies must pay their fair share” and back a unified approach to ending the war in Ukraine.

On May 11, Russia issued its proposal to resume negotiations. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Moscow wants talks to restart based on the 2022 Istanbul discussions, adjusted for the current battlefield situation. Moscow insists negotiations must begin before any ceasefire.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed that Putin “has made it clear: first, we must negotiate the causes, then a ceasefire.”

U.S. Special Envoy Keith Kellogg commented on X: “As President Trump has repeatedly said—stop the killing. First, an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, and during that, comprehensive peace talks—not the other way around.”