**Ukraine Demands Ceasefire and Putin’s Presence at Peace Talks or Will Walk Away**
Ukraine has issued a firm ultimatum ahead of this week’s proposed peace talks in Istanbul: a ceasefire must be in place before negotiations begin, and Russian President Vladimir Putin must attend in person—or talks are off.
Andriy Yermak, head of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office, made the demand at a conference on Tuesday, stating, “Ukraine is ready for any format of negotiations with Russia, but a ceasefire must come first.” Ukrainian state media reinforced this by paraphrasing: “It is impossible to negotiate while the Ukrainian people are under constant missile and drone attacks.”
President Zelensky, who has confirmed his attendance in Turkey, has made it clear that Russia’s commitment will be judged by whether Putin shows up himself. Yermak emphasized that if Putin fails to attend, it would serve as “the final signal that Russia does not want to end this war.”
Yermak cited support from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who recently stated he expects both leaders to attend the summit and is reportedly considering a trip to Turkey himself. Trump’s advisor Steve Witkoff echoed this view, telling *Breitbart News*, “There is no deal without President Putin’s sign-off… our job is to put them in a room together and show them that the alternatives to peace are bad for everyone.”
Ukrainian advisor Mykhailo Podolyak added that in a centralized system like Russia’s, only Putin can make final decisions. “Only Putin can decide whether the war continues or ends,” he said, reinforcing Ukraine’s stance that lower-level Russian representatives would be insufficient for meaningful talks.
Yermak also warned that if Russia fails to show real intent toward peace, the international community should respond with increased military support for Ukraine.
The Kremlin has yet to confirm whether Putin will attend, though his spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia is continuing preparations for Thursday’s talks. Peskov also repeated long-standing claims that Ukraine has violated previous ceasefires, an accusation Kyiv equally levels at Moscow.
As the world watches, the stakes are high: either a ceasefire and Putin’s presence bring the two sides to the table—or diplomacy breaks down entirely.