Putin proposes peace talks amid skepticism

Moscow residents reacted with restraint to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to hold direct talks with Ukraine. “Negotiations were necessary from the very beginning, but it seems to me that the Ukrainian side will not agree to such negotiations,” one of them said. Another one noted that Putin was right by proposing talks but assumed that even if Ukraine agrees, the negotiations will lead to nothing and the conflict will continue “until Zelenskyy matures in his decision to finally stop the war”.

Putin proposed restarting direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15, “without preconditions," an offer that came in response to Ukraine and its allies urging Moscow to commit to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire or face additional sanctions. Putin referenced the unsuccessful 2022 peace talks that took place in Istanbul in March, shortly after Moscow's full-scale invasion, and proposed "restarting" them without preconditions in remarks to reporters in the early hours of Sunday. “We are committed to serious negotiations with Ukraine," Putin said, adding that he doesn't rule out agreeing to a ceasefire later, in the course of direct talks with Ukraine.

Putin's proposal came after leaders from four major European countries threatened to ratchet up pressure on Moscow if it does not accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine that they offered on Saturday in a strong show of unity with Kyiv. The leaders of France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Poland said their proposal for a ceasefire to start on Monday was supported by U.S. President Donald Trump, whom they had briefed over the phone earlier in the day.

In a social media post several hours after Putin’s remarks, U.S. President Donald Trump said it was “a potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine!” “I will continue to work with both sides to make sure that it happens. The USA wants to focus, instead, on Rebuilding and Trade. A BIG week upcoming!” he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday welcomed Russia’s offer for direct peace talks, but insisted there must be a full, temporary ceasefire in place before negotiations can start. Zelenskyy, writing on X, called Russian President Vladimir Putin's counter-offer to start talks without a ceasefire a “positive sign,” and said that “the entire world has been waiting for this for a very long time." He added, however, that "the very first step in truly ending any war is a ceasefire.”

Meanwhile, Russia resumed mass drone attacks in Ukraine early on Sunday, after its self-declared 3-day pause expired. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told France’s Emmanuel Macron in a telephone call that Turkey was ready to contribute to peace between Russia and Ukraine, including hosting negotiations to “establish ceasefire and lasting peace.” During the call Sunday, Erdogan said a “historic turning point” had been reached in efforts to end the war, according to a statement from the Turkish presidential communications office.