Moscow — President Vladimir Putin announced Russia’s commitment to restart direct peace talks with Ukraine, suggesting they could begin on May 15 in Turkey. He stated he would discuss this with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, emphasizing that there would be no preconditions from Russia. Putin criticized Ukraine for previously abandoning negotiations and breaching ceasefire agreements, although both sides share blame for ongoing hostilities during ceasefires. His remarks came on the final day of a three-day ceasefire declared by Russia, following threats from leaders of the UK, France, Poland, and Germany to impose further sanctions if Russia does not agree to a new, unconditional 30-day ceasefire starting Monday.
During a meeting in Kyiv, these leaders reiterated their support for Ukraine and the call for a ceasefire, which received backing from U.S. President Donald Trump. The ceasefire aims to halt all military actions while fostering peace talks to resolve more than three years of conflict. Retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, a Trump advisor, endorsed the ceasefire as a pathway to end the longest war in Europe since World War II, reinforcing this with Trump’s urgent call to “stop the killing now.”
Putin has previously demanded Ukraine’s withdrawal from four annexed regions—Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson—and insisted on guarantees that Ukraine will not join NATO and will adhere to conditions regarding its military and cultural policies. Despite ongoing military operations, Putin expressed a preference for resolving the conflict without resorting to nuclear weapons.
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