MOSCOW, May 14. /TASS/. Kiev has agreed to negotiations on the settlement of the military conflict without fulfilling its demand for a 30-day ceasefire to maintain US support, particularly military assistance, Verkhovna Rada lawmaker Mikhail Tsymbalyuk stated.
In a broadcast of the Ukrainian Otkrovenno YouTube channel, the host asked the MP why Vladimir Zelensky agreed to go to Turkey without the requested preliminary truce, and whether this was a result of some pressure. "For us, first of all, it is important to stick to the US position, otherwise there is a risk that [US President Donald] Trump and the US in general may withdraw from the game; this is a risk for us to lose their military assistance, which is vital for our country," Tsymbalyuk replied.
The politician particularly noted the importance of missiles for Patriot air defense systems and emphasized that, given the availability of ammunition for these systems in Europe, they could not be transferred to Ukraine without US authorization.
Speaking to reporters in the Kremlin in the early hours of May 11, Putin urged Kiev to resume direct talks suspended in 2022, without preconditions. The plan is to start dialogue in Istanbul on May 15. Putin also recalled that Russia had declared multiple ceasefires that Kiev consistently broke, including a recent truce during the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory in the Great Patriotic War.
Vladimir Zelensky, in turn, announced plans to travel to Istanbul on Thursday. The statement came after Trump urged Ukraine to immediately accept Putin’s offer for talks. Prior to that, Zelensky had insisted that a 30-day truce should precede any negotiations with Moscow. Zelensky later confirmed that he will arrive in Turkey on May 15, where he is scheduled to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and also expects to meet with Vladimir Putin.