Zelensky says Ukraine ready to take 'necessary steps for peace'
Russia has not presented its 'peace plan' yet
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country was willing to "take the necessary steps for peace", ahead of talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul on Monday.
"We are ready to take the necessary steps for peace," he said at a meeting with NATO leaders in Lithuania, adding that if Russia undermined the Istanbul talks and there was no result then "new sanctions are urgently, urgently needed".
The two sides are expected to exchange plans on how they want to end the three-year Russian invasion of Ukraine, Europe's largest conflict since World War.
"The Ukrainian delegation came to Istanbul with a clear agenda and readiness to take big steps toward peace," a source close to the delegation said.
But Russia has still not provided its roadmap for how to halt the fighting.
"If they came with the flexibility to take real steps toward peace, on our side we are ready. If they are ready to move forward, not just repeat the same previous ultimatums, then there may be good and big news today," the source said.
Ukrainian officials in Istanbul separately have met with representatives from Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom ahead of talks with Russian delegates, Kyiv's foreign ministry spokesman said.