Zelenskyy wants to conduct discussions solely with Putin in Istanbul, but Russia has not confirmed its delegation.

According to the President’s Office, on May 15 in Istanbul President Zelenskyy will only meet with Vladimir Putin and not anyone else from the Russian side.

“Only Putin can make a decision on whether to continue the war or stop it,” they noted.

The Kremlin has not yet disclosed who will represent Russia at these talks. Zelenskyy anticipates that Putin will show willingness for a ceasefire, which he believes would facilitate discussions on all other aspects of ending the war.

On May 12, Zelenskyy spoke by phone with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the forthcoming negotiations, highlighting the lack of a definitive response from Russia regarding various ceasefire proposals. Meanwhile, Sergey Lavrov spoke with the Turkish Foreign Minister the same day, focusing on pathways to peace.

US President Donald Trump is confident that Russia will agree to a 30-day ceasefire. Additionally, as reported by Trump’s special representative Steve Witkoff, the US President has issued an ultimatum: either Ukraine and Russia engage in direct negotiations, or the US will cease mediation efforts. The negotiations will involve US special envoys Witkoff and Kellogg, and whether the US president will attend hinges on Putin’s participation.