Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed direct talks with Kyiv on 15 May, hours after European leaders threatened strong sanctions if Russia refused to agree to a 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine. Kyiv described the proposal as a positive sign but French President Emmanuel Macron said it wasn't enough.
Vladimir Putin called Sunday for "direct talks" with Ukraine on 15 May in Istanbul.
It came a day after leaders from France, Germany, the UK and Poland met in Kyiv and warned Russia it would face "new and massive" sanctions if Moscow did not agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv is ready to meet Putin for ceasefire talks, calling it "a positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war".
Zelensky added that Ukraine expected Russia to confirm it would abide by the 30-day ceasefire, beginning Monday.
Putin has not responded directly to the European-proposed ceasefire, which is backed by the US.
Ukraine and allies call on Russia to accept 30-day truce
'Not enough'
President Macron said Putin’s proposal was "not enough".
"An unconditional ceasefire is not preceded by negotiations, by definition," Macron told reporters on Sunday morning on his way back from Ukraine, adding that Putin was "looking for a way out, but he still wants to buy time".
"We need to stand firm with the Americans and say that the ceasefire is unconditional and then we can discuss the rest," Macron said.
US President Donald Trump, who had vowed to end the war in his first 24 hours back in the White House in January, was upbeat. "A potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine!" he wrote on his Truth Social online platform.
US threatens to quit Russia-Ukraine effort unless 'concrete proposals'
Ukraine's air force said Sunday that Russia had launched more than 100 drones into Ukraine at night, shortly after a Russian 72-hour ceasefire had ended at midnight.
Drone attacks were reported in capital city Kyiv as well as over Odessa, Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk.
Putin ordered the three-day ceasefire around commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II on 9 May. Both Kyiv and Moscow accused each other of violating the ceasefire several times.
