The president said he's optimistic about Thursday's expected talks between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky in Istanbul.

"I will be waiting for Putin in Türkiye on Thursday. Personally," the Ukrainian leader writes after Trump urged him to "have the meeting, now!"

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday that Russia was continuing its attacks on Ukraine and had made no response to a proposal for direct talks in Turkey this week in a "strange silence.