Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky raised the stakes ahead of a potential meeting with Vladimir Putin in Turkey by saying he wouldn’t hold talks with any Russian representative other than the president himself.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday he wanted to negotiate an unconditional 30-day ceasefire face-to-face with Vladimir Putin at this week's talks in Istanbul because only the Russian leader could enact such a pause.

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.