President Volodymyr Zelensky's willingness to hold direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week in Istanbul sparked a question over whether such a move contradicts his earlier decree.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will travel to Ankara on May 15, prepared to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin for direct talks — if Putin attends. Zelensky warned that Putin’s absence would signal his unwillingness to end the conflict and called for new sanctions if he fails to show.