Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday proposed direct talks with Ukraine on Could 15 in Turkey that he mentioned ought to be geared toward bringing a sturdy peace, an initiative welcomed by US President Donald Trump.
Putin despatched hundreds of troops into Ukraine in February 2022, unleashing a battle that has left lots of of hundreds of troopers lifeless and triggering the gravest confrontation between Russia and the West for the reason that 1962 Cuban Missile Disaster.
The Russian chief, who has provided few concessions in direction of ending the battle to this point, mentioned the talks within the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul will likely be geared toward eliminating the basis causes of the battle and restoring a “long-term, lasting peace” quite than merely a pause for rearmament.
“We’re proposing that Kyiv resume direct negotiations with none preconditions,” Putin mentioned from the Kremlin within the early hours of Sunday. “We provide the Kyiv authorities to renew negotiations already on Thursday, in Istanbul.”
Putin mentioned that he would converse to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan afterward Sunday about facilitating the talks, which he mentioned might result in a ceasefire.
“Our proposal, as they are saying, is on the desk. The choice is now as much as the Ukrainian authorities and their curators, who’re guided, it appears, by their private political ambitions, and never by the pursuits of their peoples.”
President Volodymyr Zelensky’s workplace and Ukraine’s overseas ministry didn’t instantly reply to Reuters’ request for touch upon the proposal.
In a message on the social community Fact Social, Trump hailed Putin’s proposal as a constructive for ending the battle.
“A doubtlessly nice day for Russia and Ukraine!” Trump mentioned. “Consider the lots of of hundreds of lives that will likely be saved as this by no means ending ‘massacre’ hopefully involves an finish.”
NO CEASEFIRE?
Putin’s proposal for direct talks with Ukraine got here hours after main European powers demanded on Saturday in Kyiv that Putin comply with an unconditional 30-day ceasefire or face “huge” new sanctions.
Putin dismissed what he mentioned was the try by some European powers to put down “ultimatums.”
Russia, Putin mentioned, had proposed a number of ceasefires, together with a moratorium on putting vitality services, an Easter ceasefire and most just lately the 72-hour truce through the celebrations marking 80 years since victory in World Warfare Two.
Each Russia and Ukraine accused one another of violating the momentary truce proposals, together with the Could 8-10 ceasefire.
Regardless of Putin’s name for peace talks, Russia on Sunday launched a drone assault on Kyiv and different components of Ukraine, injuring one particular person within the area surrounding the Ukrainian capital and damaging a number of personal properties, Ukrainian officers mentioned.
Putin mentioned that he doesn’t rule out that in his proposed talks in Turkey either side will agree on “some new truces, a brand new ceasefire,” however one that will be step one in direction of a “sustainable” peace.
PEACE?
Putin, whose forces have superior over the previous 12 months, has stood agency in his circumstances for ending the battle regardless of private and non-private strain from Trump and repeated warnings from European powers.
In June 2024, he mentioned that Ukraine should formally drop its NATO ambitions and withdraw its troops from the whole lot of the territory of 4 Ukrainian areas claimed by Russia.
Russian officers have additionally proposed that the US acknowledge Russia’s management over about one-fifth of Ukraine and demanded that Ukraine stays impartial although Moscow has mentioned it’s not against Kyiv’s ambitions to hitch the European Union.
Putin particularly talked about the 2022 draft deal which Russia and Ukraine negotiated shortly after the Russian invasion began.
Below that draft, a duplicate of which Reuters has seen, Ukraine ought to comply with everlasting neutrality in return for worldwide safety ensures from the 5 everlasting members of the UN Safety Council: Britain, China, France, Russia and america.
“It was not Russia that broke off negotiations in 2022. It was Kyiv,” Putin mentioned. “Russia is able to negotiate with none preconditions.”
He thanked China, Brazil, African and Center Jap nations and america for his or her efforts to mediate.
Trump, who says he desires to be remembered as a peacemaker, has repeatedly mentioned he desires to finish the “massacre” of the Ukraine battle which his administration casts as a proxy battle between america and Russia.
“I’ll proceed to work with either side to make it possible for it occurs,” Trump mentioned in his Fact Social submit on Sunday. “The USA desires to focus, as an alternative, on Rebuilding and Commerce. A BIG week upcoming!”
Former US President Joe Biden, Western European leaders and Ukraine forged the invasion as an imperial-style land seize and repeatedly vowed to defeat Russian forces.
Putin casts the battle as a watershed second in Moscow’s relations with the West, which he says humiliated Russia after the Soviet Union fell in 1991 by enlarging NATO and encroaching on what he considers Moscow’s sphere of affect, together with Ukraine.
