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MOSCOW — President Vladimir Putin of Russia announced early Sunday that his nation is ready to resume direct negotiations with Kyiv to discuss ending their conflict, proposing that the discussions start on May 15 in Turkey.
Putin mentioned that he intended to converse with Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, later on Sunday, with aspirations to hold the negotiations next week in Istanbul. He stated that Russia would not impose any preconditions.
Putin claimed that Ukraine had previously abandoned such talks and violated ceasefire agreements, though both parties have been criticized for attacks during the last three ceasefires. He conveyed his wish for meaningful discussions with enduring impacts, aiming for sustained peace.
Putin’s comments came on the last day of the three-day ceasefire declared by Russia, and almost immediately after leaders from the United Kingdom, France, Poland and Germany threatened to increase sanctions against the nation if he does not accept an unconditional, 30-day ceasefire starting Monday.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made the demand for an unconditional ceasefire in a news briefing, which included over 30 countries that have pledged to strengthen Ukraine. They also joined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the memorial of fallen Ukrainian soldiers at independence square in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Saturday.
The leaders said the proposal to start the ceasefire Monday was supported by U.S. President Donald Trump, whom they had briefed over the phone earlier in the day.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The ceasefire aims to enforce a halt to fighting on land, sea and air. The world leaders’ show of force came amid mounting efforts to persuade Moscow to agree to a truce that would allow for peace talks on ending over three years of war.
Retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine, said on X on Saturday that such a ceasefire could “start the process for ending the largest and longest war in Europe since World War II.”
Kellogg enlisted a quote from Trump — “stop the killing now” — to bolster his own statement in support of a 30-day ceasefire.
Putin has previously said he wants Ukraine to withdraw from four regions — Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson — which Russia illegally annexed shortly after invading Ukraine in February 2022. He has also insisted that Ukraine promise never to join NATO, accept restrictions on the size of its army, and protect Russian culture and language inside the country.
Last week, Putin said Russia had sufficient strength and resources to take the war in Ukraine to its logical conclusion, though he hoped there would be no need to use nuclear weapons.
The Associated Press contributed.
