Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed direct peace talks with Ukraine on May 15 in Istanbul, Turkey. The talks, he said, would aim to bring “a durable peace” and address the root causes of the war that began in February 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine.

Zelenskyy said Tuesday that “if Putin does not arrive and plays games, it is the final point that he does not want to end the war.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed holding “direct talks” with Ukraine on Thursday in Istanbul, as European leaders and the United States attempt to put pressure on Moscow to agree to a 30-day ceasefire in order to bring an end to the three-year conflict.