Putin proposes Russia’s direct talks in Istanbul on May 15 Russia-Ukraine, news war

Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15, “without preconditions” to achieve “permanent peace” and “eliminating the root causes” of the conflict for a period of three years.

This offer, which was delivered early on Sunday, came hours after the leaders of Ukraine, France, Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom called for a 30 -day ceasefire on Monday.

The leaders, who were meeting in Kiev, said that their invitation was supported by US President Donald Trump and threatened new “huge” sanctions against Moscow if they did not agree with their plan.

Putin did not explicitly address those calling for his comments, but criticized the European “warning” and “anti-Russia’s speech” before determining the equation for Russia-Ukraine’s renewable negotiations.

“We suggest that Kiev resume direct negotiations without any preconditions,” the Russian president told reporters. “We are providing Kiev authorities to resume negotiations on Thursday, in Istanbul.”

Putin said he would talk to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan later on Sunday about facilitating the talks.

There was no immediate response from Ukraine to the proposal.

But Ukraine President Voludmir Zelinsky said previously that he was ready for peace talks, but only after a ceasefire.

Russia’s extensive invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022, left hundreds of thousands of soldiers Mitua and sparked the harshest confrontation between Russia and the West since the Cuban missile crisis of 1962.

The Russian and Ukrainian negotiators held direct talks in Istanbul in the first weeks of the conflict, but they failed to agree to stop the fighting.

Putin said Russia is proposing to restart the talks in an attempt to “eliminate the radical causes of the conflict” and “to achieve a long -term and lasting peace” instead of just stopping armament.

He added: “We do not rule out that during these talks, we will be able to agree on some of the new ceasefire.”

Putin, whose forces advanced over the past year, faced general and private pressure from Trump as well as warnings from European powers to end the war.

But he presented a few privileges and stood firm in his circumstances to end the war.

In June 2024, Putin said that Ukraine should officially drop NATO ambitions and withdraw its forces from the total lands of four Ukrainian regions demanded by Russia.

Russian officials also suggested that the United States recognize Russia’s control of about five Ukraine and demanded that Ukraine remain neutral, although Moscow said it did not oppose Kiev’s ambitions to join the European Union.

Putin specifically mentioned the draft of the 2022 deal of talks in Istanbul.

Under this draft, Ukraine must agree on permanent neutrality in exchange for international security guarantees from the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

“It was not Russia that cut negotiations in 2022. It was Kiev,” Putin said. “Russia is ready to negotiate without any preconditions.”

Thanks to China, Brazil, Africa, the Middle East and the United States for their efforts to mediate.

Putin added that Russia has proposed many ceasefire, including the endowment on amazing energy facilities, the ceasefire on Easter, and recently, a 72 -hour truce during the 80 -year -old celebrations since victory in World War II, but it accused Ukraine of its violation repeatedly to stop the looks.

He said that during the fire in May, Ukraine attacked Russia with 524 drones, 45 SEA aircraft, and a number of Western missiles and that Russia has repelled five attacks on Russian regions.

Ukraine also accused Russia of repeatedly violating the ceasefire.

Earlier on Saturday, for the first time, the leaders of France, Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom have traveled together to Ukraine on a visit, Zelenskyy said “a very important sign.”

After their meeting in Kiev, the five leaders issued a statement calling for a ceasefire “at least 30 days” from Monday, to make room for a diplomatic payment to end the war.

“The unlawful ceasefire cannot be subject to the definition of any conditions. If Russia is calling these conditions, this cannot be considered an effort to prolong the war and undermine diplomacy.”

French President Emmanuel Macron said that the United States will take the initiative to monitor the proposed ceasefire, with the support of European countries, and threatened “tremendous sanctions … coordinator and coordination between Europeans and Americans” in the event of Russia’s violation of the armistice.

Meanwhile, retired General Lieutenant Keith Kelog, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, said on Saturday that the ceasefire was “comprehensive” for 30 days, covering attacks of air, language, sea and infrastructure, “will begin the process of ending the largest and longest war in Europe since World War II.”

Trump, who says he wants to remember him as a peacemaker, has repeatedly said he wanted to end the “bloodbath” of the Ukraine war, which his administration received as an agent between the United States and Russia.

Former US President Joe Biden, Western European leaders and Ukraine, threw the invasion as an imperial style and has repeatedly pledged to defeat Russian forces.

Putin is throwing war as a gatherings in Moscow’s relations with the West, who says that the degrading Russia after the Soviet Union fell in 1991 by expanding NATO and infringement of what it considers the field of Moscow’s influence, including Ukraine.