KYIV - Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday urged US counterpart Donald Trump to help secure a meeting with Vladimir Putin in Turkey on Thursday, while accusing the Russian leader of not seriously wanting to end the war.
Zelensky said in Kyiv that the West should impose massive sanctions if Putin skips the meeting, emphasising that he would do "everything" possible to make it happen and secure a ceasefire.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will be in the US delegation at the talks in Istanbul which "could be some pretty good results," Trump said in Riyadh as he started a four-day Middle East trip.
The Kremlin has refused to say whether Putin will travel to Turkey, after he himself proposed Russia-Ukraine talks in a weekend Kremlin address.
"This is his war," Zelensky said, "therefore, the negotiations should be with him".
Any meeting between Russian and Ukrainian officials would be the first direct negotiations since the early months of Moscow's February 2022 invasion.
Trump came to office in January promising a swift end to the war, but has become increasingly frustrated at what he sees as the failure of Kyiv and Moscow to compromise over the bloodshed.
Trump said Monday that he was "thinking" about going to the talks.
"I do not know the US president's decision, but if he confirms his participation, I think it would give additional impetus for Putin to come," Zelensky told a press conference.
"Putin does not want the war to end, does not want a ceasefire, does not want any negotiations," Zelensky said, adding however, that he "will do everything to ensure that this meeting takes place".
Russian airstrikes killed two people in Ukraine's eastern region of Kharkiv, which is on the border with Russia, authorities said.
Zelensky urged the United States to hit Russia with its "strongest" ever sanctions should Putin not turn up -- saying a refusal would be "a clear signal that they do not want and are not going to end the war".
Putin's spokesman refused to say who Moscow would send to the talks.