In a climate of intense diplomatic mobility, Russians and UkrainianThey are preparing for direct talks in Istanbul on Thursday, with Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski openly causing Vladimir Putin personally coming in person, while the Kremlin emits contradictory positions on whether or not he will accept it.

Vladimir Putin seems to face a dilemma as Washington, Brussels and Kyiv They are trying to form a common line for ceasefire and further peace negotiations between the parties involved.

After repeatedly avoided Ukraine and the United States’ calls for a complete ceasefire of 30 days, the Russian leader proposed direct conversations between Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Constantinople, a proposal.

The proposal was considered significant, as long as the talks take place, as they would be the first direct peace negotiations between the two sides from the first weeks of the full Russian invasion in February 2022.

Zelenski, however, decided to raise the stakes. “I will wait for Putin in Turkey on Thursday. Personally, “he wrote in a post on the X platform.” I hope this time the Russians would not find excuses. “

The proposal for a private meeting of the two presidents is a challenge for Putin, who He has not met with Zelenski since 2019he has repeatedly attempted to undermine the legalization of the Ukrainian president and has implied that it is not appropriate for Moscow to negotiate directly with Kiev.

Volodimir Zelenski has brought Vladimir Putin in a difficult position, according to Olexandr Merezko, a member of the Ukrainian parliament and a member of the Zelenski party.

“Zelenski has brought Putin to a situation where, whatever he does, he loses. If it does not appear in Constantinople, then it loses. People will see that Putin does not want negotiations. “

He then explained that “if Putin appears, then imagine the picture: on the one hand the young, fearless leader of a heroic country, and on the other a old dictator, a war criminal. Putin can’t afford this picture. So the chances of appearing in Constantinople are small. “

The Kremlin keeps silent about whether Putin will eventually meet with Zelenski, though he has repeated the proposal for direct negotiations in Turkey.

“Overall, we remain committed to a serious effort for a long -term peaceful solution,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday.

However, Konstantin Koscev, Vice President of the Upper House of Russia, implied that Putin would not attend. As he told the Rossiya-44 channel, in statements cited by the Interfax agency, Zelenski “is trying to put responsibility in Russia, saying: Look, Putin, whom I called in Constantinople, refused and did not come. And then there will be various speculations for the reason that happened. “

Oleg Ignatov, a senior analyst for Russia at the International Crisis Group, told ABC News that it would be a “big surprise” if Putin was traveling to Constantinople.

“Usually, Putin does not meet anyone without preparations,” Ignatov explained, noting that before his last meeting with Zelenski in 2019, the Kremlin was preparing for months.

Putin’s proposal for direct talks came a few days after the visit of top European leaders in Kiev, who expressed their support for the Ukrainian request for complete cease of the fire of 30 daysin which the peace negotiations could be repeated.

Putin, however, has not yet officially accepted the demand for a ceasefire.

US President Donald Trump has appeared to support both the proposal for a 30 -day cease and the Putin proposal for direct talks in Turkey.

Initially, European allies reported that President Trump supported the proposal for a 30 -day ceasefire during telephone contact with him while in Kiev.

However, Trump then quickly expressed his support for Putin’s proposal for direct talks at Constantinople, A proposal that both Ukraine and the European Partners of Kiev interpreted as an attempt to avoid their own initiative. Indeed, Trump publicly pressured Zelenski to agree “immediately” at the meeting.

When Zelenski responded, proposing a personal meeting with Putin, Trump left the possibility of attending himself.
“I have so many meetings, but I am thinking of flying there,” he told reporters at the White House on Monday.

“There is a chance, I suppose, if I think things can be done, but we have to finish it,” he added before leaving for the four -day tour in three Persian Gulf countries.

“Don’t underestimate talks on Thursday in Turkey,” the US president concluded.

Oleg Ignatov, an analyst of the International Crisis Group, warned that there should be no illusions about diplomatic progress.

“The Russians clearly state that they want to maintain military and diplomatic pressure in Ukraine,” he said. “They openly say that the negotiations will be long and that Ukraine must be prepared for it.”

“They throw responsibility to each other,” he commented on Kiev and Moscow, adding that Trump is watching, wishing for a peaceful deal that could present as his political success.

For his part, Ukrainian MP Olexandr Merezko praised President Zelenski’s diplomatic manipulations, saying that “Zelenski made a genius chess movement, trapping Putin. He said, “Mr. Trump, you want negotiations? You will have them. I come myself.”

However, the MP expressed concern about the rapid changes in Trump’s rhetoric and the reflection that the US president may be affected by Russia’s misleading narratives of the invasion of Ukraine.

“It seems that, despite the fact that Ukraine has accepted all Trump’s proposals, even if they do not serve our interests, he is hesitant to impose serious sanctions on Russia. He is constantly seeking pretexts not to do so and attempts to blame Ukraine for a lack of will for peace, “Merezko concluded.

US Secretary of State, Mark Rubiohe had telephone communications with his counterparts from France, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom, Ukraine and the European Union, ahead of the scheduled meeting in Istanbul this week, as Statto Diphard’s spokesman said on Monday.

“The leaders discussed the path to a ceasefire and peace in Ukraine,” she said.