Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed resuming
direct peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on Thursday, May 15, as
international pressure mounts on Moscow to agree to a 30-day ceasefire aimed at
ending the ongoing three-year conflict.
In a rare late-night televised address on Sunday,
Putin called for “serious negotiations” without preconditions and said the
talks should resume at the same venue where previous discussions were held
before being suspended.
“We would like to start immediately, already next
Thursday, May 15, in Istanbul… without any preconditions,” Putin said. “We are
set on serious negotiations with Ukraine to eliminate the root causes of the
conflict and reach the establishment of a long-term, durable peace.”
Putin’s proposal came just hours after a show of
solidarity in Kyiv, where the leaders of Germany, France, the United Kingdom,
and Poland stood alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to demand a
ceasefire. French President Emmanuel Macron stated that Putin must agree to a
30-day truce starting Monday or face “massive sanctions.” The ceasefire
proposal is backed by the United States following a joint phone call with
President Donald Trump, European leaders confirmed.
Despite this united front, the Kremlin has responded
cautiously. Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia is “resistant to any kind of
pressure” and accused European nations of confronting Moscow “very openly.”
While Putin supports the idea of a ceasefire “in general,” Peskov noted that
“there are lots of questions” about the latest proposal that remain unresolved.
Ukraine and Russia have not held direct talks since
the early weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. On Sunday, Putin
stated he would consult with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about
reviving negotiations.
Ukraine has consistently called for an immediate
30-day ceasefire—a stance supported by European allies and endorsed by
President Trump. However, Moscow has so far refrained from committing, citing
unspecified “nuances” that must be addressed.
Denying claims that Russia has refused dialogue, Putin
said the decision to move forward now lies with Ukrainian authorities. He added
that a potential ceasefire could mark “a first step to a long-lasting stable
peace,” but warned it should not serve as a prelude to renewed military
build-up by Kyiv.
Putin reiterated his long-standing call to address the
conflict’s “root causes,” widely understood to include NATO’s eastward
expansion.
In a recent Truth Social post, President Trump warned
that failure to respect the proposed ceasefire would lead to further sanctions.
Trump has made ending the war a top foreign policy priority and has engaged
directly with Putin through backchannel efforts led by his special envoy, Steve
Witkoff, and other senior officials.
Despite offering what have been described as
unprecedented concessions, the Trump administration has yet to secure Moscow’s
agreement to the temporary truce. Last month, U.S. Secretary of State Marco
Rubio threatened to withdraw from the talks if no progress is made.
While the Kremlin expressed appreciation for U.S.
mediation, Peskov emphasized on Saturday that pressure tactics would be
ineffective: “It’s quite useless to try to press on us.”
The proposed talks in Istanbul may mark a critical
juncture in efforts to end one of Europe’s most destabilizing conflicts in
recent history.
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