Russian president Vladimir Putin proposed “direct” and “without prerequisite” negotiations on Sunday between Russia and Ukraine on Thursday in Istanbul, pushing for such discussions any possibility of establishing the cease-fire required by the Kiev allies.
In a rare demonstration of Western unity, Ukraine and its European allies, in concert with the United States, sent an ultimatum to Moscow on Saturday to accept a “complete and unconditional” cease-fire of 30 days from Monday, failing which Russia would be exposed to new “massive sanctions”.
Without directly mentioning this proposal, the Russian president reproached Europeans for treating Russia “roughly and using Ultimatums” and estimated that all possible truce should be part of “direct” discussions with kyiv.
“Russia is ready for negotiations without any prerequisite (….). We are offering to start next Thursday, May 15 in Istanbul, “Putin said in a press statement, in the presence of AFP journalists, late at night at the Kremlin. He said he would be causing himself in the coming hours with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“The deep causes of the conflict”
The latter, in regular contact with his Russian counterpart, has proposed several times to welcome peace talks. Turkey, a member of NATO, had played a mediation role in 2022 for the conclusion of an agreement allowing the export of Ukrainian cereals by the Black Sea, of which Russia had later slammed the door.
Vladimir Putin “did not exclude” that the idea of a ceasefire was discussed during talks with kyiv but he stressed that these discussions should focus on “the deep causes of the conflict”-that he described as “war” although this term was rejected by the Russian authorities-“in a historical perspective”.
Moscow had justified the launch of its large -scale offensive in February 2022 by the desire to “denazify” Ukraine, whose army currently occupies around 20% of the territory, to oppose its rapprochement with Westerners as well as to the strengthening of NATO near its borders.
While the cards have been rebounded by the return to the White House of Donald Trump, who started a rapprochement with Vladimir Putin, Moscow has so far rejected calls to the ceasefire.
“Save time”
The Kremlin was content to unilaterally decree a three -day truce for the commemorations of the 80th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany, which ended on the night of Saturday to Sunday after being marked by accusations of violations on both sides.
“Potentially a great day for Russia and Ukraine!” wrote Donald Trump on Sunday morning on his social social account, without explaining if he referred to the proposal of Vladimir Putin.
“Think of the hundreds of thousands of lives that will be saved with the end, hopefully, of this + endless bloodbath. (…) I will continue to work with both parties to make sure it happens, “he added, while he has been pushing since his inauguration in February Volodymyr Zelensky to accept to negotiate with Moscow.
The latter had assured Thursday, after a call with Donald Trump, that his country was “ready” to lead “all negotiation formats” with Moscow, but that Russia should first establish a cease-fire.
Emmanuel Macron described the Russian proposal “first movement (…) not enough”, noting in Vladimir Putin “the desire to save time”.
“Besides, I think it is unacceptable for Ukrainians because they cannot accept parallel discussions when they continue to be bombed,” insisted the French president, who was expressed at his descent from the Polish city of Przemysl on the return from a trip to Ukraine, where he was accompanied on Saturday from the German leaders Friedrich Merz, British Keir Starmer and Polish Tusk.
Military aid
During this visit, according to the French president, around twenty member countries of a “coalition of volunteers”, which exchanged by Visioconference in kyiv with the leaders around Mr. Zelensky, “decided to support a cease-fire” of 30 days, “with monitoring mainly by the United States of America” and to which “all Europeans will contribute”.
If Russia refuses this ceasefire or accepts it, but it has raped it, it has been agreed that “massive sanctions would be prepared and coordinated between Europeans and Americans,” he said.
Volodymyr Zelensky and the four Europeans called Donald Trump to inform him of the results of their interviews.
Friedrich Merz spoke of the pursuit of “massive aid” in kyiv for lack of reaction from the Kremlin and estimated that the Russian war in Ukraine “aims to destroy the entire European political order”.
On the ground, on the night of Saturday to Sunday, after the expiration of the truce decreed by Moscow, air alerts have resounded in many Ukrainian regions, including in kyiv.
The American Embassy in Ukraine warned the risk of a significant Russian “air attack” in the coming days on Friday.
