Putin offers Ukraine to resume direct talks in Istanbul on May 15
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has offered Ukraine to resume direct talks in Istanbul on May 15 without preconditions. He said this at a nightly press conference in the Kremlin.
According to the Russian dictator, on May 11, he will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and ask him about the possibility of holding talks in Istanbul.
"We offer the Kyiv authorities to resume the negotiations that were interrupted by them at the end of 2022. We propose to resume direct negotiations without any preconditions. We propose to start without delay next Thursday, May 15, in Istanbul, where they were held before and where they were interrupted," Putin said .
He noted that Russia is "ready for serious negotiations" with Ukraine, aimed at "eliminating the root causes of the conflict.".
"We do not exclude that during these talks we will be able to agree on a new truce, a new ceasefire – and a real truce. This would be the first step towards a long-term sustainable peace," the Russian dictator added .
- on May 10, 2025, French President Macron, British Prime Minister Starmer and his Polish counterpart Tusk, and German Chancellor Merz arrive in Kyiv for a meeting of the "coalition of the willing", comprising more than 30 countries.
- On the same day, President Zelenskyy and partners held a phone conversation with US President Trump: Ukraine and all allies offer Russia a 30-day unconditional ceasefire starting May 12 .
- In return, Kremlin spokesman Peskov said that Russia "needs to think" about the proposal .
