Russian President Vladimir Putin late Saturday evening said he was ready for `Direct talks '' with kyiv in Istanbul on Thursday, May 15.
“We propose to resume direct talks with the kyiv regime on Thursday, May 15 in Istanbul,” said Putin in the rare night address.
The Russian chief proposed to resume direct “without prerequisite” talks, saying that it was “to eliminate the deep causes of the conflict” and “to carry out the restoration of a long -term and lasting peace”.
Moscow had previously declared that he could only consider that a cease-fire agreement only under certain conditions, in particular the total suspension of Western military aid in Ukraine.
Men of May 12 of kyiv's May 12
Putin’s offer for direct talks with Ukraine comes after Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders, with the support of US President Donald Trump, demanded that Russia accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire from May 12.
On Saturday, the leaders of France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Poland said that their cease-fire proposal from Monday was supported by US President Donald Trump, whom they had informed by phone earlier during the day.
In what was a strong demonstration of solidarity with Ukraine, the four European leaders, with American support, threatened to increase the pressure with the sanctions against the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, if he rejected their offer.
The visit of the four leaders in kyiv marked the first time that they went together to Ukraine and the very first official visit of Friedrich Merz as a new German Chancellor.
Russia, Ukraine trade blame on the day of victory
Last month, and before the victory day parade in Moscow, Putin unilaterally declared a temporary cease-fire from midnight from May 8 to midnight on May 11.
Despite the unilateral ceasefire three days of Moscow, the fighting would not have stopped, kyiv and Moscow blame for continuous fights.
Russia continued its attacks on Ukrainian civilians and its attacks on the front line in Ukraine, according to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andrii Sybiha, who described the truce as a “farce” in a post on X.
But in her night speech, Putin accused Ukraine of having increased attacks on Russia in the days preceding his “Truce” victory day and raping the three-day ceasefire several times, including five cross-border incursions in the regions of Kursk and Belgorod.
These incursions did not contain “no military service,” he said.
