Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he plans to meet with the Turkish president in Ankara on Thursday. However, if Vladimir Putin decides to come to Istanbul, he and Erdogan will travel to meet him.

Zelensky shared this information with reporters on Tuesday, according to "European Truth".

He mentioned that a meeting with Recep Tayyip Erdogan is scheduled for May 15 in Ankara, which has already been agreed upon.

"We are waiting for a meeting with Putin in Turkey. Russia should not manipulate the situation by saying that Putin is only willing to come to Istanbul, not the capital... If Putin arrives in Istanbul, I have conveyed this to President Erdogan, and the Turkish side is ready for us to travel to Istanbul together," Zelensky emphasized.

He added that "we will do everything to ensure this meeting takes place" and noted that any agreements regarding a ceasefire can only be made with Putin, as "he is the only one who can decide on this".

Zelensky also pointed out that U.S. President Donald Trump had been invited to join the meeting, but his decision is currently unknown.

"However, if he confirmed his participation, it would provide additional impetus for Putin to come," Zelensky stated.

Special envoys of U.S. President Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg, will head to Istanbul, where negotiations between Ukraine and Russia may take place on Thursday.

The head of the President's Office, Andriy Yermak, stated that if Putin refuses to come to Turkey, it will be a final signal of Russia's unwillingness to end the conflict.

At the same time, the Kremlin announced that the Russian side continues preparations for negotiations in Istanbul on May 15, providing no further comments.