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Vladimir Putin rejected the proposal of four European leaders on a one-month ceasefire in Ukraine. However, the Russian president presented his own proposal - direct negotiations between Moscow and Kiev in Istanbul on May 15. Zelensky said that Ukraine is ready to meet with Russia, but only if Moscow agrees to a ceasefire
President of Russia Vladimir Putin he proposed the renewal of direct negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15, "without any preconditions", in response to the call of Ukraine and its allies for Moscow to agree to unconditional ceasefire for 30 days or face additional sanctions.
Speaking to reporters in the early hours of Sunday (May 11th), Putin referred to the failed peace talks held in Istanbul in March 2022, shortly after the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and suggested they be "relaunched".
"We are committed to serious negotiations with Ukraine," Putin said, adding that he does not rule out the possibility of agreeing to a ceasefire later, during direct talks with Ukraine.
Zelensky: Ukraine is ready for a meeting
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to Putin's proposal, stressing that it is a positive sign and that the whole world has been waiting for such a step for a long time.
Zelenski said on Platform X that the first and necessary step towards the end of the war is a ceasefire.
"It is a positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider the possibility of ending the war. The whole world has been waiting for this for a very long time. The first step towards the real end of any war is a ceasefire," Zelensky wrote.
He added that it makes no sense to continue the conflict "not even a single day longer" and that he expects Russia to confirm the ceasefire as early as May 12.
"There is no point in continuing the killing for even one more day. We expect Russia to confirm a ceasefire - full, permanent and reliable - starting tomorrow, May 12, 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.
There is no point in continuing the killing even for a single...
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Volodymyr Zelenskyy (@ZelenskyyUa) May 11, 2025
Erdogan: Turkey is ready to host
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin that Turkey is ready to host peace talks between Russia and Ukraine with the aim of achieving a permanent solution, Anadolia reports.
Erdogan told Putin that he was happy to support the continuation of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine where they left off in Istanbul in 2022.
As stated in the statement of the Communications Directorate of the Presidency of Turkey, Erdogan and Putin discussed bilateral, regional and global issues by phone.
Welcoming Putin's statement on the continuation of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul, Erdogan said a comprehensive ceasefire would create the necessary environment for peace talks.
Proposal of European leaders
Putin's proposal came after the leaders of France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Poland threatened to increase pressure on Moscow if he does not accept the unconditional ceasefire for 30 days in Ukraine, which they offered on Saturday, during a visit to Kiev and a meeting with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
The four European leaders said that their proposal for a cease-fire, which would begin on Monday, was supported by US President Donald Trump, to whom they presented the proposal earlier in the day through a telephone conversation.
Trump called on Ukraine and Russia for "high-level talks," saying Moscow and Kiev were "very close to an agreement" on ending the bloody three-year war.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday that Putin's proposal for talks was "a first step, but not enough."
"An unconditional truce is not preceded by negotiations," the French president said, adding that the Russian leader "is looking for a way out, but is still trying to buy time."
Meeting in Kiev
Speaking to reporters in Kyiv on Saturday, Zelensky called the meeting with European leaders "a very important signal."
In a joint statement, published on Zelenskiy's official website, the five leaders called for a ceasefire "for at least 30 days" from Monday, to create space for diplomatic efforts to end the war.
"An unconditional ceasefire, by definition, cannot have conditions. If Russia sets such conditions, it can only be seen as an attempt to prolong the war and undermine diplomacy," the statement said.
French President Emmanuel Macron said the US would take a leading role in overseeing the proposed ceasefire, with support from European countries. He threatened "massive sanctions, prepared and coordinated between the Europeans and the Americans", if Russia violates the truce.
Macron arrived in Kyiv together with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
"This is Europe standing with Ukraine and showing its solidarity," Starmer said.
Who violates ceasefires?
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, previously stated that he is ready for peace talks, but only after a ceasefire is established.
Putin said that in recent months, Russia has repeatedly proposed cease-fires - a suspension of attacks on energy infrastructure, to which Ukraine agreed, a unilateral 30-hour Easter cease-fire, as well as another unilateral cease-fire from May 8 to 10, which has since expired.
Ukrainian officials claim that Russia has repeatedly violated all those cease-fires.
Putin, on the other hand, on Sunday accused Ukraine of "again and again sabotaging these initiatives" and of carrying out multiple attacks on Russian territory.
In March, the United States proposed an immediate, limited 30-day ceasefire, which Ukraine accepted, but the Kremlin sought terms more favorable to it.
Putin reiterated on Sunday that the Kremlin needs a ceasefire that would lead to "lasting peace" rather than a situation where Ukraine would use the time to rearm and mobilize additional forces.
He announced that he would talk to the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and ask him to mediate in the peace talks scheduled for May 15.
Negotiations in Turkey
The previous negotiations in Istanbul were held immediately after the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. They were unsuccessful.
The proposed deal reportedly included Ukraine's neutral status and restrictions on its armed forces, while negotiations on the status of Russian-occupied territories were delayed.
Moscow blamed Kiev and the West for the failure of the negotiations. Putin said that "those who really want peace cannot help but support" his proposal to resume negotiations.
The attacks continue.
Meanwhile, in the Russian shelling of the northern Ukrainian region of Sumy in the last 24 hours, three people were killed and four more were wounded, local officials announced.
Another civilian was killed Saturday when a Russian drone hit Kherson, according to regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin.
The US embassy in Kiev warned on Friday of a "potentially significant" Russian airstrike in the coming days, without giving details.
Source: AP
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