Turkey ready to hold Russia-Ukraine talks, but Zelenskyy wants cease-fire first
Both the Kremlin and the Turkish president's office report that Presidents Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke by phone about Putin's offer to begin negotiations over the war in Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15.
The Kremlin readout says that Erdogan fully supports the proposal and is ready to provide a platform for talks.
The Turkish statement says that Erdogan is ready to host negotiations but added that he emphasized that a cease-fire "would create the necessary environment for peace talks."

The Russian statement makes no reference to a cease-fire.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated his call for Russia to accept a 30-day cease-fire starting Monday after Putin avoided addressing that proposal and instead suggested talks in Turkey starting May 15.
Zelenskyy said, "We expect Russia to confirm a ceasefire -- full, lasting, and reliable -- starting tomorrow, May 12th, and Ukraine is ready to meet."
-ABC News’ Yulia Drozd and Natalia Popova





