Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday proposed direct talks with Ukrainian officers to lastly carry an finish to the battle that started with a 2022 invasion by Moscow.
Putin has up to now supplied few, if any, concessions however is now proposing talks with Ukraine within the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul that he says should be held with out preconditions and with the purpose of lasting peace.
“We’re proposing that Kyiv resume direct negotiations with none preconditions,” Putin mentioned in a televised assertion on Sunday. “We provide the Kyiv authorities to renew negotiations already on Thursday, in Istanbul.”
The Kremlin chief mentioned talks ought to tackle the basis causes of the battle and that he would communicate to Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan afterward Sunday about facilitating the negotiations, which he mentioned might lead to a ceasefire.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin provides a press release to the media on the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Might 11, 2025. (Reuters)
“Our proposal, as they are saying, is on the desk,” Putin mentioned. “The choice is now as much as the Ukrainian authorities and their curators, who’re guided, it appears, by their private political ambitions, and never by the pursuits of their peoples.”
The proposal was a welcome signal to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who mentioned Kyiv was keen to barter however that Moscow should comply with a ceasefire.
“It’s a constructive signal that the Russians have lastly begun to think about ending the battle,” he wrote on X. “The whole world has been ready for this for a really very long time. And the very first step in really ending any battle is a ceasefire. There is no such thing as a level in persevering with the killing even for a single day. We count on Russia to substantiate a ceasefire – full, lasting, and dependable – beginning tomorrow, Might twelfth, and Ukraine is able to meet.”
U.S. President Donald Trump mentioned a whole bunch of hundreds of lives might be saved if the “massacre” of the battle might finish.
“A doubtlessly nice day for Russia and Ukraine!” Trump wrote on Fact Social. “Consider the a whole bunch of hundreds of lives that might be saved as this by no means ending ‘massacre’ hopefully involves an finish. Will probably be a complete new, and significantly better, WORLD. I’ll proceed to work with either side to make it possible for it occurs. The USA desires to focus, as a substitute, on Rebuilding and Commerce. A BIG week upcoming!”
Putin’s proposal for direct talks got here hours after European leaders demanded on Saturday in Kyiv that the Russian president comply with an unconditional 30-day ceasefire or face new sanctions. However Putin dismissed makes an attempt by some European powers to subject what he described as “ultimatums.”
The Russian chief mentioned he doesn’t rule out that Moscow and Kyiv will agree on “some new truces, a brand new ceasefire” throughout negotiations in Turkey, saying that the talks could be step one in direction of a “sustainable” peace.
Russian President Vladimir Putin provides a press release to the media on the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Might 11, 2025. (Reuters)
Russia had proposed a number of ceasefires, together with a moratorium on placing vitality services, an Easter ceasefire and most not too long ago the 72-hour truce through the celebrations marking 80 years since victory in World Struggle Two, Putin mentioned.
Putin mentioned that through the ceasefire in Might, Ukraine attacked Russia with 524 aerial drones, 45 sea drones, and several other Western missiles. However Ukraine accused Russia of violating the momentary truces, together with the Might 8-10 ceasefire.
Regardless of Putin’s provide of peace talks, Russia launched a drone assault on Kyiv and different components of Ukraine on Sunday, injuring one individual and damaging a number of non-public houses, Ukrainian officers mentioned.
Putin has maintained his circumstances for ending the battle regardless of stress from Trump and warnings from European leaders.
In June, he mentioned Ukraine should formally drop its hopes of becoming a member of NATO and pull its troops from the whole lot of the territory of 4 Ukrainian areas claimed by Russia. Moscow has additionally urged the U.S. to acknowledge Russia’s management over components of Ukraine.
However Russian officers have mentioned they aren’t in opposition to Kyiv’s ambitions to affix the European Union.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned Kyiv was keen to barter however that Moscow should comply with a ceasefire. (Getty Photographs)
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Putin talked about the 2022 draft deal Russia and Ukraine negotiated shortly after the Russian invasion began.
Below that draft, Ukraine ought to comply with everlasting neutrality in change for worldwide safety ensures from the 5 everlasting members of the U.N. Safety Council: Britain, China, France, Russia and the U.S.
“It was not Russia that broke off negotiations in 2022. It was Kyiv,” Putin mentioned. “Russia is able to negotiate with none preconditions.”
Putin thanked China, Brazil, African and Center Jap international locations and the U.S. for his or her efforts to mediate.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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