Kyiv, May 14 (HS): Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged U.S. President Donald Trump to participate in the peace talks with Russia taking place in Turkey. Zelensky hopes that Trump's presence during this time will increase pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop the war.

According to a Reports, Zelensky is confident that Trump will be present. He stated that President Trump has reiterated his commitment to arrive in Turkey if needed. Meanwhile, Zelensky mentioned that he will be traveling to Turkey's capital, Ankara, to meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and will be available for direct talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Istanbul on Thursday.

In a hastily convened press briefing in Kyiv, he told reporters, We will do everything to ensure that this meeting takes place. However, Russia has not yet announced who will go to Istanbul. The Kremlin merely stated that an announcement would be made if Putin deems it necessary. The last direct talks between the two countries took place in Istanbul in March 2022, which was around the time Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar