Putin Calls For Direct Talks With Ukraine As Zelensky Demands Ceasefire First

In a surprising late-night address, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed holding “direct talks” with Ukraine — a move welcomed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who insisted that Moscow must first agree to a ceasefire.

Putin made no reference to the ceasefire plan already proposed by Kyiv and its allies — a 30-day truce beginning Monday — during his rare televised address at 1 a.m. local time on Sunday. Instead, he suggested restarting negotiations with Ukraine this Thursday in Istanbul, the site of earlier talks that broke down in the early months of Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion.

“We would like to begin immediately, next Thursday, May 15, in Istanbul, where talks were previously held and then interrupted,” Putin announced. He emphasized that discussions should proceed “without any preconditions.”

“We are prepared for serious negotiations with Ukraine,” Putin said, adding that talks aim to “eliminate the root causes of the conflict” and achieve a “long-term, durable peace.”
The “root causes,” according to Moscow, include grievances over NATO’s eastward expansion and the growth of Ukraine’s military.

Putin’s call for talks came just hours after the leaders of Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Poland stood alongside Zelensky in Kyiv, urging the Russian leader to agree to a 30-day ceasefire or face the threat of "massive sanctions."

Responding to Putin’s proposal, Zelensky said Ukraine was “ready to meet” for talks.
“It is a positive sign that the Russians are finally considering ending the war,” Zelensky posted on X (formerly Twitter). “The entire world has been waiting for this. But the first real step toward ending any war is a ceasefire.”

He emphasized there was “no point in continuing the killing even for a single day” and said he expected Russia to confirm a “full, lasting, and reliable” ceasefire starting May 12.

French President Emmanuel Macron, however, dismissed Putin’s offer as insufficient.
“An unconditional ceasefire should come first — not negotiations,” Macron told reporters. “Putin is looking for a way out, but he still wants to buy time.”

Meanwhile, a three-day pause in fighting ordered by Putin to mark Russia’s World War II Victory Day ended with renewed violence. Ukraine reported over 100 drone attacks overnight, while both sides accused each other of violating the truce.

Trump Weighs In
The call for an unconditional ceasefire has the backing of the White House, following a joint phone call between US President Donald Trump and European leaders on Saturday.

Reacting to Putin’s proposal, Trump posted on Truth Social, calling it a “potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine!”
“I will continue working with both sides to make sure this happens,” Trump wrote, urging the world to “think of the hundreds of thousands of lives that could be saved” from the “never-ending bloodbath.”

Ukraine has been pushing for an immediate 30-day ceasefire for two months, but Russia has resisted, citing "nuances" that still need resolving. On Sunday, Putin denied claims that Moscow refuses dialogue and said “the decision now lies with the Ukrainian authorities.”

“We do not rule out arranging some kind of new truce during these talks,” he added, calling negotiations a "first step toward a lasting peace," but warning against allowing Ukraine to use any pause to rearm and fortify.

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has made ending the Ukraine war a top priority. His special envoy, Steve Witkoff, has traveled to Russia four times to meet with Putin, and several high-level US-Russian meetings have been held.

Despite offering significant concessions, the Trump administration has not yet convinced Moscow to agree to the initial ceasefire proposal, meant to open the door to a permanent peace agreement.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told CNN that Russia is “very grateful” for Washington’s mediation efforts, but warned, “it’s quite useless to try to pressure us.”