Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed late on Saturday night direct negotiations with Ukraine, suggesting Istanbul in Turkey as the venue.
Putin responded to European leaders’ Saturday visit to Ukraine, where they called for an immediate ceasefire and warned Moscow of potential sanctions if it does not agree to a 30-day halt to hostilities.
The Russian President gave a rare televised press conference late on Saturday night, where he proposed a start date of May 15th for the direct talks with Ukraine. Putin also said that he would speak with Turkish President Erdogan to arrange the details of the proposed negotiations.
Putin’s proposition wants Ukraine to engage “without preconditions,” aimed, as he says, at “eliminating the root causes of the conflict” and securing a “lasting peace.” He referenced the 2022 Istanbul talks, placing the blame for their collapse on Kyiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed on Sunday his support for Putin’s proposal but has maintained his firm stance that an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire is essential. He emphasized that the willingness of Russian officials to consider ending the conflict is a positive development, noting that the international community has long awaited such a move.
This development came after a powerful demonstration of European solidarity, with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk making a joint visit to Kyiv, where they met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The European leaders, in a unified stance, called for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire, matching U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to Kyiv and Moscow.
The message of the European leaders is that Russia must immediately stop its military aggression, or face further, coordinated sanctions by the EU and the UK.
German Chancellor Merz expressed a degree of hope for a potential ceasefire but stressed that the decision now rests with Moscow. However, Ukrainian officials have dismissed recent Russian ceasefire declarations, citing ongoing heavy fighting. It is noted that Putin had declared an Easter ceasefire, however, reports indicated that the fighting continued.
On Saturday, Kyiv experienced renewed drone attacks, with Ukrainian air defense systems actively engaged trying to intercept Russian bombs.
