KYIV — President Donald Trump on Sunday backed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s call for direct talks with Ukraine, breaking his administration’s agreement with European leaders announced less than 24 hours earlier.

US President Donald Trump said Ukraine should “immediately” agree to Vladimir Putin’s offer to hold “direct” peace talks in Turkey this week, seeming to shatter a European effort to force the Russian president to agree to an unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine by Monday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he was ready to meet Vladimir Putin in Turkey on Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump told him publicly to immediately accept the Kremlin leader's proposal of direct talks.