Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that he will talk about a complete ceasefire and a swap of all prisoners if a meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin happens.

Source: Zelenskyy in an interview with Libération, a daily newspaper in France

Quote: "If I meet with him, we need to achieve a political win such as a ceasefire, a full prisoner swap or something similar."

Details: Zelenskyy said "the Russians will not trust" the Ukrainians and the Ukrainians "will not trust the Russians". He believes that only external mediators can guarantee the observance of any agreements.

He insisted on the need for reliable, balanced mediation that both sides would respect. In particular, he mentions the United States as a possible guarantor of a monitoring mechanism and believes that the presence of US President Donald Trump could encourage Putin to come: "If Putin does not come, it will look like a complete defeat for him".

Zelenskyy called for new tough sanctions against Russia, including sanctions from the United States and the European Union.

Regarding the possible duration of the war, Zelenskyy responded, "But it won't be ten years. Ukraine cannot endure that... The cost is high for all, not just for our allies but also for our adversaries".

Background : 

• Zelenskyy reported that he is scheduled to meet his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara on Thursday, but if Putin agrees to fly to Istanbul, he and Erdoğan are prepared to travel there instead.
• Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg, senior envoys of US President Donald Trump, will travel to Istanbul, where talks between Ukraine and Russia may take place on Thursday.
• Andrii Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said that if Putin refuses to hold talks in Türkiye, this will indicate that Russia does not want to end the war.
• Meanwhile, the Kremlin said that the Russian side continues preparations for talks in Istanbul on 15 May and is not providing any further comments.

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