By Marina Bobrova and Lydia Kelly
MOSCOW (WARNEWS) – Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested on Sunday holding direct negotiations with Ukraine on May 15 in Istanbul, Turkey. He stated these talks should focus on achieving lasting peace and addressing the fundamental issues driving the conflict.
Putin sent thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022, unleashing a war that has left hundreds of thousands of soldiers dead and triggering the gravest confrontation between Russia and the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.
He mentioned that Russia suggested holding direct discussions with Ukraine in Istanbul aiming to “address the fundamental issues fueling the conflict” and “attain enduring peace” instead of merely pausing to regroup militarily.
Kyiv should restart direct talks without any prerequisites,” Putin stated from the Kremlin late Saturday night. “We propose that the Kyiv leadership resumes discussions as soon as this Thursday, in Istanbul.
Despite public and private pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump and repeated warnings from European powers, Putin has offered few concessions towards ending the conflict.
Putin said that he would speak to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan later on Sunday about facilitating the talks, which he said could lead to a ceasefire.
“Our proposal, as they say, is on the table. The decision is now up to the Ukrainian authorities and their curators, who are guided, it seems, by their personal political ambitions, and not by the interests of their peoples.”
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s office and Ukraine’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to WARNEWS’ request for comment on the proposal.
NO CEASEFIRE?
Putin’s proposal for direct talks with Ukraine came hours after major European powers demanded on Saturday in Kyiv that Putin agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire or face “massive” new sanctions.
Putin dismissed what he said was the attempt by some European powers to lay down “ultimatums”.
Russia, Putin said, had proposed several ceasefires, including a moratorium on striking energy facilities, an Easter ceasefire and most recently the 72-hour truce during the celebrations marking 80 years since victory in World War Two.
Russia and Ukraine blamed each other for breaching the provisional cease-fire agreements, such as the truce suggested from May 8 to May 10.
Ukrainian authorities reported that on Sunday, Russia conducted a drone assault on Kyiv and various regions of Ukraine. Initial reports did not indicate any casualties or destruction resulting from this incident.
Putin stated that he doesn’t dismiss the possibility that during the suggested discussions in Turkey, each side might consent to “some fresh ceasefires,” which could serve as an initial move toward achieving a “lasting” peace.
PEACE?
Putin, who has seen advances from his forces during the last twelve months, remains resolute in his demands for ceasing hostilities.
In June 2024, he stated that Ukraine needs to formally abandon its aspirations for joining NATO and remove all its forces from the complete area of the four Ukrainian territories that Russia claims.
Russian authorities have suggested that the U.S. acknowledge Russia’s dominion over approximately 20% of Ukraine and have insisted that Ukraine should remain non-aligned. However, Moscow has stated that it does not object to Kiev’s aspirations to become part of the European Union.
Putin specifically mentioned the 2022 draft deal which Russia and Ukraine negotiated shortly after the Russian invasion of February 2022.
According to the draft reviewed by WARNEWS, Ukraine would commit to perpetual neutrality in exchange for binding security assurances from the five permanent members of the UN Security Council: the UK, China, France, Russia, and the USA.
Kyiv terminated the discussions in 2022, not Russia,” Putin stated. “Moscow remains prepared to engage in talks with no preliminary conditions.
He expressed his gratitude to China, Brazil, the nations of Africa and the Middle East, as well as the United States, for their mediation efforts.
Trump, who says he wants to be remembered as a peacemaker, has repeatedly said he wants to end the “bloodbath” of the Ukraine war which his administration casts as a proxy war between the United States and Russia.
Former U.S. President Joe Biden, Western European leaders and Ukraine cast the invasion as an imperial-style land grab and repeatedly vowed to defeat Russian forces.
Putin frames the conflict as a turning point in Russia’s relationship with the West, arguing that since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Western actions such as expanding NATO have humiliated his country. He views this expansion along with interference in areas like Ukraine as infringements upon what he deems to be Russia’s zone of influence.
(Reported by Marina Bobrova, Dmitry Antonov, Lidia Kelly, Anastasia Lyrchikova, and Felix Light; edited by Guy Faulconbridge and Lincoln Feast.)
