Putin continues to ignore the ceasefire, wants a meeting in Istanbul
Russia continues to ignore the ceasefire proposal of May 12 and insist on holding talks in Istanbul without "preconditions", according to comments by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov to Russian propagandists at RIA Novosti.
In a new statement, he recalled the position of dictator Vladimir Putin, which he voiced on the night of May 11: the aggressor country advocates the resumption of direct negotiations in Istanbul "without any preconditions." The last time such negotiations took place was in early 2022 – Ukraine suspended them after exposing massive Russian war crimes in the Kyiv region, in particular in Bucha.
At the same time, Peskov said nothing about the ceasefire proposed by Ukraine and its partners starting May 12, and also did not comment on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's statement about his readiness to personally meet with the Russian dictator in Istanbul.
The Kremlin spokesman also followed Putin's lead, repeating the Russian cliché about the need to "eliminate the root causes of the conflict" – by which Moscow means disarmament and Ukraine's rejection of NATO, as well as the so-called "denazification". In addition, the aggressor country has previously repeatedly demanded that Kyiv withdraw its troops from the territory of the Kherson, Zaporizhia, Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
UPDATED. Other Russian outlets have spread Peskov's statement that ‘Russia cannot be spoken to in the language of ultimatums’ regarding the ceasefire proposal and the sanctions the West has promised to impose if there is no ceasefire.
German government spokesman Cornelius said the Russian dictator must agree to a 30-day ceasefire by the end of May 12, or preparations for new sanctions will begin.
- The French President stressed that "either Russia is serious and wants peace, or it is not serious and we have to impose more sanctions."
Ukraine has informed the United States and its European partners that Russia is ignoring their ceasefire proposal. The parties have coordinated the consequences that Moscow will face if it continues to reject the truce.
