Ukraine’s Zelensky urges Trump to attend ceasefire talks & demands West impose sanctions if Putin skips meeting

UKRAINE President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Donald Trump to help secure ceasefire talks with Vladimir Putin.

He says the West should impose sanctions if the Russian leader skips negotiations in Turkey.

AFP

Zelensky says he wants Danald Trump to attend the talks with Vladimir Putin[/caption]

AFP

Trump, who is currently in the Middle East, has not confirmed whether he will attend the meeting in Turkey[/caption]

The Kremlin refused to say if Putin will travel there tomorrow, after he proposed the meeting.

Any talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials would be their first direct negotiation since the early months of Moscow’s invasion in 2022.

On Monday, US President Trump, who is on a State visit to the Middle East, said he was thinking about attending.

Zelensky said: “I don’t know Trump’s decision, but if he confirms, it would give impetus for Putin to go.

“Putin doesn’t want the war to end.”

The Kremlin said it was preparing for negotiations but would not say who it was sending.

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “The Russian side continues to prepare for the talks scheduled for Thursday.

“That is all we can say at this point.

“We do not intend to comment further at this time”.

AP

Russia has also not officially confirmed whether Putin will attend the meeting[/caption]