Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has welcomed President Putin's proposal for peace talks, but reiterated that a full and unconditional ceasefire must precede any negotiations, a demand Russia has called ridiculous.
The statement follows Russian President Vladimir Putin’s call to resume direct talks in Istanbul on Thursday, May 15, without preconditions.
Zelenskyy, posting on X, described Putin’s offer as a “positive sign” and said, “the entire world has been waiting for this for a very long time.” However, he emphasized, “the very first step in truly ending any war is a ceasefire.”
He urged Russia to agree to a “full, lasting, and reliable” 30-day ceasefire starting Monday, May 12, adding, “There is no point in continuing the killing even for a single day. We expect Russia to confirm a ceasefire — full, lasting, and reliable — starting tomorrow, May 12th, and Ukraine is ready to meet.”
Putin’s offer came after a three-day unilateral ceasefire, declared by Russia to mark the 80th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany, expired on Saturday.
Ukraine reported that Russian forces violated the truce repeatedly.
On Sunday, Russia launched 108 drones, including attack and simulator drones, with Ukraine’s Air Force reporting 60 downed and 41 failing to reach targets.
Putin, speaking to the media, proposed restarting negotiations halted in 2022, stating“
We propose the Kyiv authorities resume the negotiations they interrupted at the end of 2022... to resume direct negotiations... without any preconditions... to begin without delay next Thursday 15 May in Istanbul.Vladimir Putin, President of Russia.
He added:
We do not rule out that during these negotiations it will be possible to agree on some new truces, a new ceasefire.Vladimir Putin, President of Russia.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the proposal “very serious,” saying, “The goals of the talks are clear: to eliminate the root causes of the conflict. And also to ensure the interests of the Russian Federation.”
The Russian proposal follows a unified call from European leaders, including the UK’s Sir Keir Starmer, France’s Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Friedrich Merz, and Poland’s Donald Tusk, for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire.
They warned of increased sanctions if Russia does not comply. U.S. President Donald Trump, briefed by the leaders, called it “a potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine!” and vowed to “continue to work with both sides to make sure that it happens.”