Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he is ready to meet Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Istanbul on May 15, a call Moscow avoided agreeing to after it launched dozens of attack drones at Ukraine.
Zelenskyy late on May 11 proposed a cease-fire to begin on May 12, which the Kremlin did not address.
He added that he will be in Istanbul this on May 15, "and I expect Putin to come to Turkey as well."
"A full and unconditional cease-fire -- one that lasts long enough to provide a necessary foundation for diplomacy -- could significantly bring peace closer. Ukraine has long proposed this, our partners are proposing it, and the whole world is calling for it," Zelenskyy wrote.
"We await a clear response from Russia."
SEE ALSO: Trump Urges Ukraine To Negotiate With Putin 'Now,' Ignoring Kyiv's Cease-Fire DemandZelenskyy said Kyiv has "absolutely no problem engaging in negotiations, and we are ready for any format."
It wasn't immediately clear if Zelenskyy was conditioning his trip to Turkey on the immediate start of a cease-fire, or on whether he would only meet with Putin, and not other Russian officials if Moscow sent them instead.
The Kremlin on May 12 said Putin was "serious" about seeking a peace agreement, saying "we are committed to a serious search for ways of a long-term peaceful settlement."
But he refused to comment further on issues such as whether Putin would sit down with Zelenskyy, or other issues related to any possible talks in Istanbul.
"That's all. I've said everything I could about this story," Peskov said.
Trump Pushes Direct Russia-Ukraine Talks
Speaking at the White House before departing for a trip to the Middle East on May 12, US President Donald Trump insisted that the May 16 meeting "is very important" and that he "really insisted it take place."
"I think good things can come out of that meeting," he told reporters. "I was thinking about actually flying over there. There's a possibility of it, I guess, if I think things can happen."
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European Leaders Urge Russia To Agree To Cease-Fire
The day before, he had taken to his social media platform Truth Social to urge Putin and Zelenskyy to the table this week.
"Ukraine should agree to this, IMMEDIATELY," Trump wrote. "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!"
Putin and Zelenskyy have met only one time, back in 2019, well before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Trump has said that a "deep hatred" between the two sides has hindered peace efforts.
Cease-Fire Before Talks Or After?
Trump's demand that Ukraine drop its precondition for a cease-fire and go straight into negotiations with Russia came just hours after his Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, backed Kyiv's call for a cease-fire.
"As President Trump has repeatedly said, stop the killing!!" Kellogg wrote on X. "An unconditional 30-day cease-fire first and, during it, move into comprehensive peace discussions. Not the other way around."
Late on May 11, the US State Department issued a statement saying that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had spoken by phone with British counterpart David Lammy and stressed that Washington's "top priority remains bringing an end to the fighting and an immediate cease-fire," without elaborating.
SEE ALSO: Ukraine's Cemeteries Fill Up As War Deaths Climb, Funeral Costs SoarSpeaking to Russian pro-Kremlin media, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on May 11 dismissed Kyiv's calls -- backed by its allies -- for Russia to pause the war, saying Kyiv must have misread the Russian leader's message.
"Putin made it clear in his statement," she said. "First talks about the root causes, and then we can perhaps talk about a cease-fire."
Zelenskyy's presidential adviser Andriy Yermak responded on Telegram to Putin's call for talks by saying: "First, a 30-day cease-fire -- then everything else."
"Russia must not disguise its desire to continue the war behind rhetorical constructions," he said. "A cease-fire is the first step toward ending the war, and it will demonstrate Russia's willingness to stop the killings."
SEE ALSO: Tariffs Up, Arms Delayed: Could US Tariffs Disrupt The Ukraine Arms Supply Chain?Russian Drone Attacks On Ukraine Continue
As news of Zelenskyy's proposal for a cease-fire on May 12 spread, Ukraine said Russia launched another attack, sending 108 Shahed drones at targets in several areas of the country.
Residential buildings in the southern coastal city of Odesa were reported to be hit, injuring one person, while a civilian freight train and rail lines in the eastern Donetsk region was also struck.
"Cease-fire proposals are being ignored, and the enemy continues attacks on railway infrastructure," Ukrainian national railway operator Ukrzaliznytsia said, adding that a train driver had been wounded by the attack.