The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, has proposed holding “direct talks” with Ukraine in Türkiye on May 15 “without preconditions.”
Putin’s announcement came amid Ukraine’s allies attempts to press Moscow to agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire and as the French President, Emmanuel Macron, floated the idea of sending troops to support Kyiv.
Direct Talks
Early on Sunday, Putin told reporters that Russia is open to restarting direct negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15 “without preconditions,” referring to the unsuccessful talks that took place in March 2022, shortly after the breakout of the Russia-Ukraine war, reported the Associated Press (AP).
“We are committed to serious negotiations with Ukraine,” the Russian President said. He added that he does not rule out agreeing to a ceasefire later in the talks.
Putin also said that Russia proposed multiple ceasefires in recent months, which Ukraine sabotaged “time and time again.” These initiatives included a bilateral agreement on stopping attacks on energy infrastructure, a unilateral 30-hour Easter truce, and a unilateral ceasefire from May 8-10, 2025.
The Russian President reiterated that Moscow needs a ceasefire that results in a “lasting peace” instead of a one that allows Kyiv to rearm and mobilize more forces. He added that “those who truly want peace cannot but support” his proposal. He also noted that he would ask the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to facilitate the direct peace talks on May 15.
European Ceasefire Proposal
Putin proposal came hours after Ukraine’s major European allies urged Russia to agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire or face additional sanctions. On Saturday, the leaders of France, the UK, Germany and Poland traveled to Kyiv in a strong show of unity.
In a joint statement, the French President, Emmanuel Macron; British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer; German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz; Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk; and Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, called for a 30-day ceasefire to start on Monday.
“An unconditional ceasefire by definition cannot be subject to any conditions. If Russia calls for such conditions, this can only be considered as an effort to prolong the war and undermine diplomacy,” the statement said.
They threatened to ramp up sanctions against Russia, including on energy and banking sectors, if Moscow did not comply.
US Support
The European leaders said that their proposal has the support of the US President, Donald Trump, who was briefed on the ceasefire proposal earlier on Saturday. Moreover, France’s Macron said that the US would lead the ceasefire monitoring efforts, with support from European countries. He also warned that Russia would face “massive sanctions… prepared and coordinated between Europeans and Americans” in case it violated the truce.
In the light of this, Trump encouraged Moscow and Kyiv to meet for “very high-level talks,” adding that they are “very close to a deal” that would bring the three-year war to an end.
Furthermore, Trump’s Special Envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellog, said that the proposed ceasefire, which would halt attacks from the air, land, sea and on infrastructure, “will start the process for ending the largest and longest war in Europe since World War II.”
Troop Deployment
During their meeting in Kyiv, the European leaders discussed security guarantees for Ukraine. These included bolstering Ukraine’s military capabilities, supplying Kyiv with sufficient quantities of arms, and investing in the country’s defense sector to deter future attacks.
Moreover, the French President floated the idea of deploying a force of foreign troops as an added “reassurance” measure. Macron said that France was consulting with its European partners on how to potentially support Ukraine with troops.
“We are working on the presence and strategic footprint of the partner countries. There have been several exchanges between our British, French and Ukrainian chiefs of staff, who have coordinated the work with all their partners, and all this is becoming clearer and making progress,” Macron told Le Parisien newspaper. He added that the ultimate goal of these talks was “to have troops in Ukraine.”
