Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to meet face-to-face with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Turkey on Sunday.

Putin initially proposed the Thursday meeting this weekend, and President Donald Trump prompted Zelenskyy to accept the offer. Putin said the talks in Istanbul must be held without preconditions and with the goal of lasting peace.

“We await a full and lasting ceasefire, starting from tomorrow, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy. There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will be waiting for Putin in Türkiye on Thursday. Personally. I hope that this time the Russians will not look for excuses,” Zelenskyy wrote.

Trump encouraged Zelenskyy to accept Putin’s meeting earlier on Sunday. Ukraine and Russia are currently under a ceasefire marking the anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe.

“Our proposal, as they say, is on the table,” Putin said. “The decision is now up to the Ukrainian authorities and their curators, who are guided, it seems, by their personal political ambitions, and not by the interests of their peoples.”

President Donald Trump says the talks between Zelenskyy and Putin could be an opportunity for lasting peace. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Putin’s proposal for direct talks came hours after European leaders demanded on Saturday in Kyiv that the Russian president agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire or face new sanctions. But Putin dismissed attempts by some European powers to issue what he described as “ultimatums.”

The Russian leader said he does not rule out that Moscow and Kyiv will agree on “some new truces, a new ceasefire” during negotiations in Turkey, saying that the talks would be the first step towards a “sustainable” peace.

Fox News’ Landon Mion contributed to this report.