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Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday offered to hold direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15, hours after Kyiv and European leaders called for an unconditional 30-day cease-fire to start Monday.
"We propose to start negotiations without delay on Thursday, May 15, in Istanbul," Putin told reporters in a middle-of-the-night statement at the Kremlin, adding that he would talk to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to ask for his help to facilitate the talks.
"We propose to the Kyiv authorities to resume the talks that they broke off in 2022, and, I emphasize, without any preconditions," he added.
Putin also said he was "committed to serious negotiations with Ukraine" and wanted talks to "eliminate the root causes of the conflict and to establish a long-lasting peace."
"We do not exclude that during these talks we will be able to agree on some new cease-fire," he added, without directly addressing the call made by the leaders of Ukraine, Britain, France, Germany, and Poland for a cease-fire to start Monday.
Putin also noted Türkiye's role in organizing the Russia-Ukraine negotiations and said that he would hold a phone call Monday (May 12) with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and request a platform for the talks to discuss pathways toward peace with Ukraine.
"Russia is prepared to negotiate without preconditions. There is a war underway now, and we suggest resuming negotiations. Those genuinely seeking peace will endorse this initiative," he said.
The Russian president added that a new cease-fire could potentially be negotiated in Istanbul.
"Our proposals are on the table, and the choice rests with the Ukrainian authorities and their supervisors, who seem driven by their own ambitions rather than the interests of their peoples," he added.
Russia and Ukraine held talks in Istanbul in March 2022 and agreed on a draft peace agreement. Ukraine later unilaterally withdrew from the peace process.
Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov told journalists that long-term peace regarding Ukraine can only be achieved through serious negotiations.
"Sustainable peace can only be achieved through serious negotiations. And the United States is now showing readiness for these serious negotiations," Peskov said when asked whether the Kremlin expects to achieve long-term peace through talks in Türkiye.
President Vladimir Putin's proposal for direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, made in response to a 30-day ceasefire called for by Kyiv and its European allies, is "a first step, but not enough," French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday.
"An unconditional ceasefire is not preceded by negotiations," Macron told reporters as he stepped off a train in the Polish city of Przemysl on his return from a trip to Ukraine, adding that Putin was "looking for a way out, but he still wants to buy time."
Speaking after Putin's proposal, U.S. President Donald Trump also shared his comments on social media and said, "A potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine! Think of the hundreds of thousands of lives that will be saved as this never-ending 'bloodbath' hopefully comes to an end. It will be a whole new, and much better, WORLD."
"I will continue to work with both sides to make sure that it happens. The USA wants to focus, instead, on rebuilding and trade. A BIG week upcoming!" he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday said that he expects Moscow to commit to a 30-day ceasefire starting on Monday and that Kyiv was "ready" for direct talks with Russia.
Zelenskyy spoke hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed direct talks with Kyiv in Istanbul this month, but did not commit to a 30-day ceasefire proposed by European leaders and backed by the US.
"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," Zelenskyy said on X on Sunday, adding, "And Ukraine is ready to meet."
"It is a positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war. The entire world has been waiting for this for a very long time. And the very first step in truly ending any war is a ceasefire," he said.
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