Ukraine Pushes for Ceasefire in Istanbul, Zelenskyy Says Russia Not Serious

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that a Ukrainian delegation will take part in peace talks with Russia in Istanbul, Turkiye, aiming for a ceasefire to stop the ongoing war.

The delegation will be led by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov and will include military and intelligence officials. These talks are being hosted in Istanbul and are supported by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

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Zelenskyy Thanks Turkiye for Supporting Ukraine

In a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), President Zelenskyy thanked President Erdogan and the people of Turkiye for supporting Ukraine’s territorial integrity and recognizing Crimea as part of Ukraine.

He said the Ukrainian team includes top officials like the Foreign Minister, Chief of Staff, and leaders from Ukraine’s security and intelligence agencies.

Russia Not Serious About Peace, Says Zelenskyy

Zelenskyy criticized Russia for sending a low-level delegation, which he says shows they are not serious about peace.

"Russia does not really want to end this war," he said. Still, Ukraine will go ahead with the talks out of respect for Erdogan and US President Donald Trump, and in hopes of making progress toward ending the war.

Ceasefire Is Top Priority for Ukraine

Zelenskyy said the main goal of the talks is to achieve a ceasefire. While not all Ukrainian officials will attend, the team will still include important military and intelligence leaders.

He ended by saying that Ukraine is ready for peace, but it depends on whether Russia will show real interest in stopping the war.

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