Russia's President Has Said He Is Ready For "Direct Talks" With Ukraine To Achieve "Lasting Peace"

Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for "direct talks" with Ukraine in Istanbul, Turkey, on May 15, saying the negotiations would be "without preconditions" to achieve "lasting, strong peace."

Putin’s statement came just hours after European leaders, including those from France, Germany, the UK and Poland, visited Ukraine to urge Russia to accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire starting Monday, May 12, threatening Russia with “massive” new sanctions if it did not agree with their plan.

The new unconditional 30-day ceasefire plan was also backed by US President Donald Trump, according to the BBC.

In a rare late-night televised statement on Sunday, May 11, Putin called for direct and lasting peace negotiations with Ukraine to be held in Turkey, where they held peace talks previously in 2022 but ultimately failed.

Putin said Russia is ready to engage in “serious” peace talks without any preconditions to address the "root causes" of the war and establish a lasting peace, rather than simply pausing hostilities for rearmament.

Putin did not mention accepting the EU’s proposal for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire starting May 12, but said that a new truce could be agreed upon during the negotiations.

"I repeat, Russia is ready for negotiations without any preconditions. There are military actions, a war, now, and we propose to resume the negotiations that were interrupted not by us. What's wrong with that? Those who really want peace cannot but support this,” Putin said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to Putin’s proposal, saying it is a positive sign that Russia is considering ending the war and that he is ready to meet with Russia but expecting “Russia to confirm a ceasefire – full, lasting, and reliable – starting tomorrow, May 12.”

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