Russia’s President Vladimir Putin did not respond to world leaders' demands for a ceasefire in Moscow's war in Ukraine starting Monday, saying instead he was ready for "direct talks" with Kyiv in Istanbul next week.
"We propose to resume direct talks with the Kyiv regime on Thursday, 15 May, in Istanbul," Putin said in the rare overnight address on Saturday.
The Russian leader offered to resume direct talks "without preconditions," saying this would "eliminate the root causes of the conflict" and "achieve the restoration of a long-term, lasting peace."
Moscow had previously said it could consider a ceasefire agreement only under certain conditions, including the total suspension of Western military support to Ukraine.
Kyiv’s Monday ceasefire plan
Putin's offer for direct talks with Kyiv comes after Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders, with the backing of US President Donald Trump, demanded that Russia agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire starting on 12 May.
On Saturday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Polish Premier Donald Tusk said Trump, whom they had briefed over the phone earlier in the day, supported their proposal.
In what was a strong show of solidarity with Ukraine, the four European leaders — who came to the Ukrainian capital on Saturday — threatened to increase pressure with further sanctions on Putin if he rejected their offer.
The four leaders' visit to Kyiv marked the first time they had travelled together to Ukraine, as well as the first official visit for Merz as Germany’s new chancellor.
Russia and Ukraine trade blame over Victory Day
Last month, and ahead of the Victory Day parade in Moscow, Putin unilaterally declared a temporary ceasefire from midnight on 8 May until midnight on 11 May.
Despite Moscow's three-day unilateral ceasefire, fighting reportedly did not stop, and Kyiv and Moscow blamed each other for the continued fighting.
Russia continued its attacks against civilians and its assaults on the front line in Ukraine, according to Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, who described the truce as a "farce" in a post on X.
In his overnight address, Putin accused Kyiv of escalating attacks against Russia in the days leading up to his Victory Day "truce" and of violating the three-day ceasefire multiple times, including by launching five cross-border incursions into the Kursk and Belgorod regions.
These incursions held "no military significance," he claimed.
