Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a “direct talks” with Ukraine on May 15 in Istanbul after over three years of war and said that the talks should be able aimed at achieving a durable peace and eliminate the root cause of the war.
During an interaction with reporters in the Kremlin on Sunday, Putin “proposed” to restart peace talks between Ukraine and Russia which was last held in 2022 when in February, the Russian forces had invaded Ukraine which triggered a gravest confrontation between Russia and the West since the Cuban Missile crisis of 1962.
The development comes at a time when four major European countries, UK, France, Germany and Poland have ratchet up pressure on Russia to accept a 30-day ceasefire proposal with Ukraine and the leaders of the four countries said that their proposal was backed by US President Donald Trump, whom they had briefed over the phone earlier in the day.
Joint Statement by the Leaders of France, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine Following the Meeting in Kyiv.
On Saturday, May 10, 2025, the leaders of France, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom and Ukraine met in Kyiv.
They agreed that starting Monday, May 12,… pic.twitter.com/afDURGGIxG
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 10, 2025
Putin said that he has proposed a direct talk with Ukraine on May 15 in Istanbul in an attempt to “eliminate the root causes of the conflict” and “to achieve the restoration of a long-term, lasting peace.”
Referring to failed talks with Ukraine just after its invasion in 2022, Putin said “It was not Russia that broke off negotiations in 2022. It was Kyiv. Nevertheless, we are proposing that Kyiv resume direct negotiations without any preconditions.”
Putin didn’t mention about the 30-day proposal brought up by the four European countries and supported by the US, even as Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Saturday told CNN that Moscow will need to consider it.
Putin added “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,” Reuters reported.
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