Zelensky says he is ready to meet Putin in Türkiye, rejects territorial concessions and insists Ukraine must have seat at any peace table

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is ready to meet Vladimir Putin in Türkiye, arguing that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s relationships with both the Russian leader and U.S. President Donald Trump could help move negotiations toward ending the war.

“This war must end,” Zelensky told CNN Türk after meeting Erdoğan in Istanbul. “At this stage, I am hoping for Türkiye’s mediation.”

Zelensky said a leaders-level meeting in Türkiye had been discussed and that Kyiv would welcome it if Ankara could bring the sides together. “Yes, we are ready. We are ready for this meeting in Türkiye,” he said when asked directly whether he would meet Putin there.

He also rejected any peace arrangement negotiated over Ukraine’s head.

“You cannot decide Ukraine’s fate without Ukraine,” Zelensky said. “Negotiating the fate of a country without that country being present makes no sense.”

Zelensky said Kyiv would not surrender territory or recognize Russian sovereignty over occupied Ukrainian land, including Crimea. He said Moscow has conveyed through intermediaries that it wants Ukraine to withdraw voluntarily from territory Russian forces have not captured, calling the idea unreasonable.

He proposed a ceasefire along the existing front line as the first step before negotiations on territory, security guarantees and a broader settlement.

Zelensky also questioned Moscow’s recent demand for security guarantees. “They are the aggressor. Who are they afraid will attack them?” he said, arguing that Ukraine needs guarantees because it was attacked.

On Ukraine’s strikes against Russian energy infrastructure, Zelensky confirmed attacks targeting Russian diesel-related facilities but rejected suggestions that they were materially driving global energy prices.

“Russia’s share of global exports is currently around 2.2 percent. The impact is much closer to zero,” he said, arguing that the Middle East war and disruption around the Strait of Hormuz have had a far greater effect on global energy prices.

Zelensky also said Kyiv has received signals that Trump could invite Ukraine to the G20 summit and launch an initiative aimed at ending the war, although no formal invitation has been received.

“If President Trump officially invites us, of course we will support it,” he said.