Putin Proposes Direct Russia-Ukraine Talks Next Week
AFP/APP
Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday proposed holding direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15, hours after Kyiv and European leaders called for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire to start Monday.
The leaders of Ukraine, Britain, France, Germany, and Poland had gathered in Kyiv on Saturday, threatening Moscow with fresh sanctions and increased military support for Ukraine if Russia rejected the ceasefire proposal.
Putin did not explicitly address that call in his statement — delivered after 1:00 am (2200 GMT Saturday) from the Kremlin — instead offering a counter-proposal for fresh negotiations.
“We propose to the Kyiv authorities to resume the talks that they broke off in 2022, and, I emphasise, without any preconditions,” Putin said.
Russian and Ukrainian negotiators had previously held direct talks in Istanbul in the early weeks of the conflict, but failed to reach an agreement to stop the fighting, which has continued ever since.
“We propose to start (negotiations) without delay on Thursday, May 15 in Istanbul,”
Putin said, adding that he would soon speak with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to help facilitate the talks.
Putin said he was “committed to serious negotiations with Ukraine” and wanted the talks to:
“Eliminate the root causes of the conflict”
“Establish a long-lasting peace”
Russia’s references to the “root causes” of the conflict typically include:
Claims of a need to “de-Nazify” Ukraine
Protection of Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine
Opposition to NATO expansion
Objections to Ukraine’s westward geopolitical alignment
Kyiv and the West have rejected these justifications, calling the war an imperial-style land grab by Russia.
Since Russia launched its offensive in February 2022, tens of thousands have been killed, and millions displaced from their homes.
“We do not exclude that during these talks we will be able to agree on some new ceasefire,” Putin added.
He also accused Ukraine’s Western allies of seeking to “continue war with Russia”, and — without directly mentioning the 30-day ceasefire proposal — criticized European “ultimatums” and “anti-Russian rhetoric.”
