Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Vladimir Putin of being “scared” to meet him for talks in Turkey this week to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian president has warned that he will only attend the high-stakes talks if Mr Putin also attends, because only a face-to-face meeting with the Russian president can deliver peace.
This is due to the fact that “absolutely everything in Russia” depends on Mr Putin, said Mr Zelensky, adding: “If he takes the step to say he is ready for a ceasefire then it opens the way to discussing all the elements to end the war.”
“I’m not even mentioning that he is scared of direct talks with me,” Mr Zelensky said, adding that he would first meet Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara for talks and would head to Istanbul if Mr Putin arrived there.
The fresh ultimatum comes after US president Donald Trump suggested he could join Mr Zelensky and Mr Putin in Turkey this week if the two leaders meet.
But the Kremlin has declined to comment on whether Mr Putin will travel to Turkey, saying only that “the Russian side continues to prepare for the negotiations”.
