Zelenskyy told reporters in Kyiv that he will be in Ankara on Thursday to conduct the negotiations. He plans to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the two will wait for Putin to arrive, he said. Zelenskyy said that if Putin chooses Istanbul to hold the meeting, then both leaders will travel there.

The demand was announced in a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and countries leading the so-called “coalition of the willing."

The European Union plans to tighten sanctions against Russia if there is no progress in ending the conflict in Ukraine this week, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared that the European Union is prepared to implement stricter sanctions against Russia if no steps are taken in the coming days towards