Putin Proposes Direct Peace Talks with Ukraine Amid Western Push for Ceasefire

Putin Proposes Direct Peace Talks with Ukraine as Western Leaders Push for Ceasefire

In the early hours of Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed direct peace negotiations with Ukraine to be held on May 15 in Istanbul. His stated aim is to achieve a "lasting peace" and "eliminate the root causes of the three-year-long conflict." The proposal came just hours after a meeting in Kyiv between the leaders of Ukraine, France, Germany, Poland, and the United Kingdom, where they called for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire to begin on Monday, according to Al Jazeera. The call was also endorsed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

In response to the Western ceasefire proposal, Putin did not directly address their appeal but criticized what he described as Europe's "ultimatums" and "anti-Russian rhetoric." Instead, he suggested a different course: resuming direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv.

“We propose that Kyiv resume direct negotiations without any preconditions,” Putin told reporters. “We are offering the Kyiv authorities an opportunity to start discussions in Istanbul as early as Thursday. We are committed to serious negotiations with Ukraine to address the root causes of this conflict. I do not rule out the possibility that during these talks, a new ceasefire agreement could also be reached.”

Putin also stated that he plans to discuss the possibility of hosting the talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan later the same day.

Following Putin's announcement, former U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on social media that this could be a "big day" for resolving the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. “Think of the hundreds of thousands of lives that could be saved if this endless 'bloodbath' finally comes to an end,” Trump added. “It could be the start of a whole new and hopefully much better WORLD. I will continue working with both sides to ensure this happens. The USA wants to focus on Rebuilding and Trade. BIG week ahead!”

French President Emmanuel Macron responded cautiously, calling Putin’s statement “an important first step,” but warned that it was insufficient. “A ceasefire cannot be defined as unconditional if it is preceded by negotiations,” Macron told French media. He added that Putin’s proposal appears to signal a desire to find a way out of the current situation, “but he still seems to want to buy time.” When asked whether he believed Putin was still employing stalling tactics, Macron responded affirmatively.

On Saturday, the leaders of what has been referred to as the "coalition of will"—UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz—met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv. They stressed the importance of halting all Russian attacks by land, sea, and air starting Monday.

Keith Kellogg, the U.S. special envoy to Ukraine, shared a photo of a phone call between Trump and the five European leaders, stating that a 30-day ceasefire would be “the first step toward ending the largest and longest war in Europe since World War II.”

U.S. representatives have met with their Russian counterparts in recent months, but these diplomatic efforts have not yet yielded significant progress. Ukraine has not officially responded to Putin’s proposal. President Zelensky has previously expressed willingness to enter peace negotiations but has maintained that a ceasefire must be in place beforehand.