President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed hope that during potential talks with Vladimir Putin, the main focus will be on achieving peace and exchanging prisoners.

Source: Zelensky's interview with Liberation

Direct quote: "If I meet with him, we need to come out with a political victory - it should be a ceasefire, exchanging all prisoners for all prisoners or something similar."

Details: According to him, "the Russians will not trust" Ukrainians and Ukrainians "will not trust Russians." He believes that only external mediators can guarantee adherence to any agreements.

Zelensky insists on the need for reliable, balanced mediation that would be respected by both parties. He specifically mentions the U.S. as a potential guarantor of the control mechanism and believes that the presence of U.S. President Donald Trump could encourage the Russian leader to attend: "If Putin does not come, it will look like a total defeat for him."

He calls for new tough sanctions against Russia, particularly from the U.S. and the European Union.

Regarding the potential duration of the conflict, Zelensky responded: "No one knows how long it will last. But it will not be ten years. Ukraine cannot endure... It's costly for everyone, not just for friends but also for enemies."

What preceded: 

• Zelensky announced a scheduled meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara on Thursday, but if the Kremlin chief agrees to meet in Istanbul, he and Erdoğan will go to him.
• U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg will travel to Istanbul, where negotiations between Ukraine and Russia may take place on Thursday.
• Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak stated that if Putin refuses to come to Turkey, it will be the last signal of Russia's unwillingness to end the war.
• Meanwhile, the Kremlin stated that the Russian side continues preparations for negotiations in Istanbul on May 15 and has not provided other comments.