In response to international leaders’ calls for a halt to Moscow’s assault in Ukraine beginning Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that he was prepared for “direct talks” with Kyiv in Istanbul the following week. In his unusual nocturnal speech on Saturday, Putin stated, “We propose to resume direct talks with the Kyiv regime on Thursday, 15 May, in Istanbul.
Resuming direct discussions “without preconditions,” the Russian leader said, would “eliminate the root causes of the conflict” and “achieve the restoration of a long-term, lasting peace. In the past, Moscow had stated that it could only contemplate a ceasefire deal if specific requirements were met, including as the complete cessation of Western military assistance to Ukraine.
Following demands by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders, supported by US President Donald Trump, for Russia to agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire beginning on May 12, Putin has extended an invitation for direct negotiations with Kyiv. Polish Premier Donald Tusk, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Saturday that Trump, whom they had informed by phone earlier in the day, endorsed their plan. The four European leaders, who visited the Ukrainian capital on Saturday, made a powerful show of unity with Ukraine by threatening to impose more penalties on Putin should he turn down their offer.
