Zelenskyy hopes for ceasefire with Russia and challenges Putin to meet him in Turkey 'personally'

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday challenged Russia's President Vladimir Putin to meet him personally in Turkey on Thursday, the latest move in a weekend-long exchange of proposals from both sides on the next steps in the U.S.-led peace effort.

Zelenskyy said that he still hopes for a ceasefire with Russia starting Monday, and that he will ''be waiting for Putin'' in Turkey ''personally'' after U.S. President Donald Trump insisted Ukraine accept Russia's latest offer — to hold direct talks in Turkey on Thursday. Ukraine, along with European allies, had demanded Russia accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire starting 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, and there was no immediate comment from the Kremlin on whether Putin would go. In 2022, the war's early months, Zelenskyy repeatedly called for a personal meeting with the Russian president but was rebuffed, and eventually enacted a decree declaring that holding negotiations with Putin had become impossible.

''We 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 (Turkey) on Thursday. Personally. I hope that this time the Russians will not look for excuses,'' Zelenskyy wrote on X on Sunday.

Trump said in a social media post earlier Sunday that Ukraine should agree to Putin's peace talks proposal ''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!'' Trump wrote, adding: ''HAVE THE MEETING, NOW!!!''

Ukraine, allies insist on a ceasefire

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 a 30-day 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.

Putin in remarks to the media overnight effectively rejected the offer and proposed restarting direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on Thursday instead ''without preconditions.'' He did not specify whether the talks on Thursday would involve Zelenskyy and himself personally.

He said a ceasefire might be agreed on during the negotiations — but stressed that the Kremlin needs a truce that would lead to a ''lasting peace'' instead of one that would allow Ukraine to rearm and mobilize more men into its armed forces.

Zelenskyy said on X on Sunday morning that it was a ''positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war,'' but insisted on a ceasefire first.

Putin and Zelenskyy have only met once — in 2019. After repeated unsuccessful calls for a personal meeting with the Russian leader early on in the war, and following the Kremlin's decision in September 2022 to illegally annex four regions of Ukraine, Zelenskyy enacted a decree declaring that holding negotiations with Putin had become impossible.

Macron said Sunday that Putin's offer of direct negotiations with Ukraine is ''a first step, but not enough,'' signaling continued Western skepticism toward Moscow's intentions.

''An unconditional ceasefire is not preceded by negotiations,'' Macron told reporters at the Polish-Ukrainian border, according to French media, adding that Putin is "looking for a way out, but he still wants to buy time.''

Moscow presses on with peace talks offer. Turkey says it's ready to host

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in comments aired by Russian state TV on Sunday, called Putin's proposal ''very serious,'' aimed at eliminating ''the root causes of the conflict,'' and said it ''confirms a real intention to find a peaceful solution.''

Without directly mentioning Moscow's proposal, Trump said in a social media post several hours after Putin's overnight remarks that it was ''a potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine!''

''Think of the hundreds of thousands of lives that will be saved as this never ending ‘bloodbath' hopefully comes to an end,'' Trump wrote. ''I 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!'' he added.

In another post on Sunday, the U.S. president said Ukraine should accept Putin's offer ''to meet on Thursday, in Turkey, to negotiate a possible end to the BLOODBATH.'' He added, however, that he was ''starting to doubt that Ukraine will make a deal with Putin.''

Putin spoke Sunday to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who expressed readiness to host the talks, the Kremlin said.

According to the Kremlin's readout of the phone call, Erdogan ''fully supported the Russian proposal" and was ready to provide a platform for the talks and assistance in organizing them.

In a separate phone call to Macron on Sunday, Erdogan said that a ''historic turning point'' had been reached in efforts to end the war, according to a statement from the Turkish presidential communications office.

Questions over next steps persist as attacks continue

Zelenskyy in his nightly video address on Sunday said he still expected a ceasefire to take hold on Monday, and that he was still waiting for a ''clear answer'' from Russia about it.

Zelenskyy said he was also waiting to see reaction from Western allies who on Saturday promised robust sanctions against Russia if Putin did not abide by the Monday truce.

''We have repeatedly heard from partners that they are ready to strengthen sanctions against Russia if Putin refuses a ceasefire. We will see,'' he said.

He reiterated he would be present in Turkey on Thursday. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not immediately respond to a message from The Associated Press asking for a comment.

Meanwhile, Russia resumed mass drone attacks 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's 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 ''violating'' Moscow's 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.

A Russian official on Sunday evening also accused Ukrainian forces of a missile strike on a town in Russia's Kursk region that borders Ukraine. Acting Gov. Alexander Khinshtein said on Telegram that the strike ''seriously damaged'' a hotel in Rylsk, a town east of the Ukrainian border, and wounded three people.

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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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Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine