“Up until now, we have not received an answer or confirmation that President Putin will be in Turkey. But President Zelenskyy of Ukraine is ready and will go,” Yermak said in a keynote discussion Tuesday at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit.
Zelenskyy emphasized after Russia’s offer that Ukraine will only accept peace talks if the Kremlin agrees to a 30-day ceasefire, and Yermak reiterated that Ukraine is “ready to discuss anything,” but “only if a ceasefire is achieved.”
“We want peace, but we didn’t start this war,” Yermak said. “Our people are under attack 24/7.”
The Ukrainian president’s top aide stressed that if Putin refuses to come to Turkey, it will be “the last signal” that Russia “does not want to end the war and is not ready for any negotiations.”
Yermak added that if Russia refuses to negotiate with Ukraine, Kyiv’s allies must increase their support, including providing security guarantees.
“We’re ready to discuss any options that are on the table. There are many interesting and very strong options. The strongest guarantee is Ukraine’s prepared and trained military force, and our partners exactly understand what we need to prevent such a terrible war from happening again,” he added.
