Key Points
- French, German, British and Polish leaders have gathered in Kyiv in a symbolic show of support for Ukraine.
- The group, along with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, pushed Russia for a 30-day ceasefire.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected that demand, and has suggested direct peace talks with Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday proposed direct talks with Ukraine aimed at ending the war, an initiative welcomed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy who said Kyiv was willing to talk but Moscow must agree to a ceasefire.
Putin said Russia was proposing direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul in an attempt to “eliminate the root causes of the conflict” and “to achieve the restoration of a long-term, lasting peace” rather than simply a pause for rearmament.
“We are proposing that Kyiv resume direct negotiations without any preconditions,” Putin said from the Kremlin on Sunday.
“We offer the Kyiv authorities to resume negotiations already on Thursday, in Istanbul.”
Putin sent thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022, unleashing a war that has left hundreds of thousands of soldiers dead and triggering the gravest confrontation between Russia and the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.
Despite public and private pressure from and repeated warnings from European powers, Putin has offered few concessions towards ending the conflict.
Putin said he would speak to Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan later on Sunday about facilitating the talks in Istanbul, which he said could lead to a ceasefire.
“Our proposal, as they say, is on the table, the decision is now up to the Ukrainian authorities and their curators, who are guided, it seems, by their personal political ambitions, and not by the interests of their peoples,” he said.
Zelenskyy said in a statement on social media website X it was “a positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war” but “the very first step in truly ending any war is a ceasefire.”
“We expect Russia to confirm a ceasefire — full, lasting, and reliable — starting tomorrow, May 12th, and Ukraine is ready to meet,” he said.
European leaders demand 30-day ceasefire
The address in the Kremlin came hours after French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk gathered in Kyiv in a symbolic show of support for Ukraine.
Together with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, they pressed Russia on Saturday to accept a 30-day unconditional ceasefire starting on Monday, threatening Moscow with “massive” new sanctions if it did not comply.
(from left) British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz had a call with US President Donald Trump on Saturday. Source: AAP / AP / Mstyslav Chernov
Putin dismissed what he said was the attempt by some European powers to slap down “ultimatums”.
There have been several brief pauses in fighting this year, including an Easter ceasefire and a .
Both Russia and Ukraine have accused the other of violating ceasefires.
Putin, whose forces have advanced over the past year, has stood firm in his conditions for ending the war.
In June 2024, he said Ukraine must officially drop its NATO ambitions and withdraw its troops from the entirety of the territory of four Ukrainian regions claimed by Russia
Russian officials have also proposed that the United States recognise Russia’s control over about one-fifth of Ukraine and demanded Ukraine remain neutral, though Moscow has said it is not opposed to Kyiv’s ambitions to join the European Union.
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