Hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accepted Russian President Vladimir Putin's proposal to meet in Turkey, US President Donald Trump showed concerns about the prospects of a Ukraine-Russia ceasefire on Sunday, posting that he's "starting to doubt" Ukraine will reach a ceasefire deal with Russia.
Following a prolonged period of high tensions and conflict between Russia and Ukraine, this meeting would be the first interaction between the two nations since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
What did Trump say?
In a post on Truth Social, President Donald Trump, who has been pressing for a peace deal, suggested that Vladimir Putin is not interested in ending the war with Ukraine.
Trump wrote on Truth Social, "I'm starting to doubt that Ukraine will make a deal with Putin."
“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," he said.
"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!," he added.
How did Russia and Ukraine agree to meet ?
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky agreed to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Turkey for peace talks, shortly after US President Donald Trump urged him to accept the offer without delay.
Putin's proposal came in response to a joint statement by European leaders, who urged Russia to accept a 30-day ceasefire, warning of massive sanctions if Moscow refuses.
Germany's new chancellor Friedrich Merz said, Trump supported the initiative.
Putin proposed talks with Ukraine in Turkey, skipping mention of the ultimatum, in a surprising move as it's his first offer since the invasion.
On Sunday, Ukrainian allies stressed that there could be no further talks before Putin agrees to an unconditional ceasefire.
In response to Trump's Truth Social post, "Have the meeting, now", the Ukrainian side relented and agreed to meet Putin in Turkey.
Zelensky quickly responded to Trump's urging, saying he'd meet Putin in Turkey on Thursday.
"I will be waiting for Putin in Türkiye on Thursday. Personally, I hope that this time the Russians will not look for excuses," Zelenskyy said on Sunday on his microblogging website X.
