By Olivier Acuña Barba •
Printed: 11 Could 2025 • 11:04
• 2 minutes learn
Following stress from UK and EU leaders, Russian President Vladimir Putin as we speak, Sunday, proposed direct peace talks with Ukraine on Could fifteenth in Istanbul, an initiative his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, accepted, however Moscow should comply with a ceasefire.
Putin introduced his invitation for talks to finish the three-year struggle in a uncommon televised late-night speech from the Kremlin, through which the Russian chief assured his authorities is searching for “critical negotiations” aimed toward shifting towards a long-lasting, sturdy peace.”
Nevertheless, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later mentioned Moscow would “need to assume this via” and warned that “attempting to stress us is kind of ineffective”, BBC reported.
Putin despatched 1000’s of troops into Ukraine in February 2022, launching a struggle that has left a whole lot of 1000’s of troopers killed within the deadliest armed battle between Russia and the West for the reason that 1962 Cuban Missile Disaster.
No point out of a truce
With out a phrase concerning a 30-day ceasefire, Putin did “not rule out” the likelihood that the talks might end in a “new truce” between Russia and Ukraine.
“We’re proposing that Kyiv resume direct negotiations with none preconditions,” Putin mentioned in a televised assertion from the Kremlin that started after 1:30 a.m. on Sunday (2230 GMT Saturday). “We provide the Kyiv authorities to renew negotiations already on Thursday, in Istanbul.”
Zelensky, in a assertion on the social media web site X, mentioned Putin’s invitation was “a optimistic signal that the Russians have lastly begun to think about ending the struggle”, however “the very first step in really ending any struggle is a ceasefire.”
No level in additional deaths
“There is no such thing as a level in persevering with the killing even for a single day. We anticipate Russia to verify a whole, lasting, and dependable ceasefire beginning tomorrow, Could twelfth, and Ukraine is able to meet,” he added.
On Saturday, the heads of state of the UK, France, Germany and Poland arrived in Kyiv to satisfy with Zelensky. Their go to was considered as a symbolic response to the greater than 20 leaders who joined Putin in Moscow for Russia’s Victory Day commemorations on Friday.
Following their assembly with Zelensky, they held a information convention, urging Russia to comply with an unconditional 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine beginning Monday, warning that if Moscow refused, “new and large” sanctions can be positioned.