Zelensky says Ukraine ‘ready to meet’ as Putin offers direct talks
Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered to hold direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15, saying he didn’t rule out reaching an agreement on a ceasefire in the war.
“We’re in the mood for serious talks with Ukraine,” Putin said from the Kremlin in the early hours of Sunday (Moscow time). Russia was ready to “resume direct negotiations and I emphasise – without any preconditions”.
Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping drink tea during their meeting at the Kremlin ahead of Victory Day celebrations.Credit: AP
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said the offer was “a positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war”.
“The entire world has been waiting for this for a very long time”, Zelensky said on X. “And the very first step in truly ending any war is a ceasefire. There is no point in continuing the killing even for a single day.”
Zelensky said he expected Russia “to confirm a ceasefire – full, lasting, and reliable – starting tomorrow, May 12th, and Ukraine is ready to meet”.
Putin’s offer came after Ukraine and European powers demanded that Russia join an “unconditional” 30-day ceasefire from Monday to allow negotiations on ending the war, saying they had backing from Trump for the ultimatum.
The Russian leader didn’t indicate whether he would agree to the truce.
A refusal by Putin to observe the ceasefire would trigger a fresh wave of sanctions targeting energy and the financial sector, Zelensky said in Kyiv on Saturday.
In his offer, Putin said Russia wanted negotiations to focus on the root causes of the conflict and establishing a lasting peace.
“We do not rule out that during these negotiations it will be possible to agree on some new truces, on a new ceasefire,” he said, while seeking to blame Ukraine for previous ceasefire violations.
Russia would resume talks with Ukraine that were halted in late 2022 “without any preconditions,” Putin said, adding that he would be speaking to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
In a message on Truth Social, US President Donald Trump welcomed Putin’s proposal.
“A potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine!” Trump said. “Think of the hundreds of thousands of lives that will be saved as this never-ending ‘bloodbath’ hopefully comes to an end.”
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz meet on a train en route to Kyiv.Credit: Getty Images
The ceasefire plan was announced on Saturday after Zelensky met French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Polish premier Donald Tusk in Kyiv.
The meeting was intended as a show of unity, the day after Putin hosted his allies, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, in a Victory Day parade on Red Square in Moscow.
The five European leaders discussed the ceasefire in a 20-minute call with Trump that hadn’t been previously scheduled and was described as “warm” by a person familiar with the interaction.
Washington didn’t confirm any new stance by Trump, with a White House official saying that the president has said economic sanctions are on the table if a ceasefire is not agreed.
After engaging directly with Russian officials, clashing publicly with Zelensky and briefly cutting off vital military aid to Ukraine, the Trump administration has patched up ties with Kyiv and signed an arduously negotiated minerals deal.
Tone shift
There has also been a palpable shift in tone from Trump, who has signalled growing frustration with Putin’s foot-dragging over a ceasefire and Russia’s restatement of its demands for a settlement.
Putin has so far shown no sign of halting the invasion and has maintained maximalist positions for any ceasefire. That includes Russian control of four eastern and south-eastern Ukrainian regions it annexed illegally in the 2022 full-scale invasion, but doesn’t fully occupy.
Rescue workers search the site of a building destroyed in a Russian strike in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, last week.Credit: AP
The US has floated proposals that would broadly freeze the conflict, leaving most Russian-occupied territory in Moscow’s hands. The Trump administration is also prepared to recognise the Ukrainian region of Crimea that Putin annexed in 2014 as Russian, Bloomberg reported in April.
Asked on Friday in the Oval Office if he had a message for Putin, Trump said: “I have a message for both parties: Get this war ended.”
Reuters / Bloomberg
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