President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, communicated with President Donald Trump and key Western allies from France, Germany, the U.K., and Poland after attempts to negotiate peace with Russia on Friday did not result in any agreement on a ceasefire.
Representatives from Ukraine and Russia convened for the first time in three years in Turkey, as Trump aims to push both parties to bring an end to the conflict expediently.
“I talked with [the President of the United States] alongside President Macron, Federal Chancellor Merz, Prime Ministers Starmer, and Tusk,” Zelenskyy stated in a post on X on Friday. “Our conversation revolved around the discussions that occurred in Istanbul.”
From left to right, Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron, Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz hold a telephone conversation with President Donald Trump on the sidelines of a meeting at the 6th European Political Community summit on May 16, 2025 at Skanderbeg Square in Tirana, Albania. (Photo by KuglerSteffen/Bundesregierung via Getty Images)
Instead, Trump reiterated his belief that he and Putin need to meet in order for any progress to be made and told reporters on Friday from the UAE, “We have to meet. He and I will meet. I think we’ll solve it.
“Or maybe not, but at least we’ll know,” Trump continued. “And if we don’t solve it, [it’ll] be very interesting.”
Trump has not said when he plans to meet with Putin or what steps he will take if Putin does not agree to end his war.
The talks, first proposed by Putin last week, were agreed to by Zelenskyy, who upped the ante and suggested the leaders of the warring nations should attend the negotiations.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, Turkiye, on May 15, 2025. (Photo by Turkish Presidency / Murat Kula / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
However, in a last-minute announcement on Thursday, after officials from Russia, Ukraine and the U.S. landed in Turkey, the Kremlin confirmed that not only would Putin not be in attendance, but the delegation would not be led by any senior members of Putin’s government – a move Zelenskyy said proved Russia was “unserious” about a ceasefire.
The talks failed to materialize on Thursday after officials were left wondering when and if they would even meet for discussions. The negotiations were then pushed to Friday, but this time neither Zelenskyy nor Secretary of State Marco Rubio said they would be in attendance.
