Putin’s refusal to come to Istanbul will show Russia’s unwillingness to end war – Yermak

He stated this during a virtual address at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit 2025, Ukrinform reports, citing the official website of the President of Ukraine.

“Ukraine is ready for any format of negotiations with Russia, but a ceasefire must come first. We have confirmed that President Zelensky is ready and will be in Turkey. Yesterday, President Trump made a very strong and clear statement that he expects both leaders to be present in Turkey. He is also considering a visit there. I believe that if Vladimir Putin refuses to come to Turkey, it will be the final signal that Russia does not want to end this war – that Russia is neither willing nor ready for any negotiations,” Yermak said.

He stressed that it is impossible to negotiate while the Ukrainian people are under constant missile and drone attacks by Russia. That is why a ceasefire regime is a crucial and necessary prerequisite.

As of now, according to Yermak, Russia has not provided any response regarding Putin’s participation in negotiations in Turkey.

Yermak also noted that work is ongoing to establish security guarantees for Ukraine. Concrete proposals have already been received from partner countries, including developments within the “Coalition of the Willing.”

“But the most serious and strongest guarantee is a powerful, well-prepared, and well-trained Armed Forces of Ukraine. We are working on this together with our partners. We also expect that the mineral resources agreement with the United States will become one of the elements of the future security guarantees system,” Yermak said.

He stressed that if Russia refuses negotiations, there must be a strong response from the United States and the entire world: new sanctions against the Russian Federation and increased military assistance to Ukraine.