Zelensky Signals Talks with Putin in Turkey, Rejects Any Colonialist Demands on Donbas and Crimea
Select a version of the text written from a presumed ideological perspective. This is not the original text, but a hypothetical version — how someone with that viewpoint might have phrased it. Tapping the current version again will return to the original or select cleaned version.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is ready to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Turkey, where President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan could help broker dialogue, but he flatly rejected giving up Donbas or accepting Crimea as Russian. He also said Kyiv has not yet received an official invitation to the December G20 summit in Miami, though signals suggest President Donald Trump may invite Ukraine as part of a broader war-ending initiative.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told CNN Türk that he is ready to hold a face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Turkey, hoping President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan can help facilitate talks that Moscow’s war has repeatedly sabotaged. Zelensky said direct presidential dialogue is needed after earlier diplomatic contacts failed to stop Russia’s assault on Ukraine.
"We are ready for this meeting in Turkey. I know that President Erdoğan has his own ties with Putin. That is why we support holding a meeting in Turkey," Zelensky said.
He added that a ceasefire, a monitoring mechanism, security guarantees, reconstruction plans and the status of occupied territories should be on the agenda, but he ruled out any concession that would require Ukraine to hand over the Donbas region or recognize Crimea as Russian territory, calling such moves a violation of the Ukrainian Constitution and a reward for aggression.
Zelensky also addressed the prospect of Ukraine attending the G20 leaders’ summit in Miami in December. He said Kyiv has not yet received an official invitation but noted signals that President Donald Trump may extend one, potentially alongside a war-ending initiative.
"If Trump extends an official invitation, we will welcome it," he said.
He emphasized that any negotiations on ending the conflict must include Ukraine, stating that the country’s fate cannot be decided without its participation. Zelensky warned that past attempts by other leaders to negotiate without Kyiv have produced no results and only encouraged further abuse.
The United States has invited President Putin to the summit and is considering inviting Zelensky, according to statements by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Trump.