During a press conference on Saturday night, Putin proposed starting direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15, according to Reuters.
Putin ignored the proposal by Ukraine and European leaders, supported by the US, for a 30-day ceasefire starting on Monday, May 12.
Instead, he said that a ceasefire could be discussed during direct talks.
“He said that Russia is offering direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul in an attempt to ‘eliminate the root causes of the conflict’ and ‘achieve the restoration of long-term, lasting peace,’” Reuters quoted the Kremlin leader as saying.
As noted by the agency, Putin resorted to accusations against the Ukrainian authorities that are traditional for his rhetoric. In particular, he complained about the unsuccessful negotiations in Istanbul in 2022.
As reported, on Saturday, May 10, the leaders of France, Germany, Poland, the UK, and Ukraine, following a meeting in Kyiv, adopted a joint statement proposing that Russia cease fire completely and unconditionally from Monday, May 12, for at least 30 days. In the event of Russia’s refusal to accept the proposed ceasefire, they agreed to impose tougher sanctions on its banking and energy sectors, targeting fossil fuels, oil, and the shadow fleet. The joint statement also mentioned the 17th package of EU sanctions and continued work on the effective use of frozen Russian assets.
