Zelensky welcomes Putin’s indication of readiness for peace talks will meet him in Turkey

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed Vladimir Putin's offer for direct peace talks with Kyiv, calling it "a positive sign."  Zelensky says he is ready to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin "personally" in Istanbul on Thursday for talks over ending the war.

 

"There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will be waiting for Putin in Türkiye on Thursday. Personally," Zelensky wrote.

 

This was following a potential turning point in the conflict, when the Russian leader opened the door to direct negotiations with Ukraine "without any preconditions," suggesting a meeting in Istanbul next Thursday. His overture followed renewed pressure from Kyiv's Western allies on Saturday.

 

“The entire world has been waiting for this for a very long time,” Zelensky wrote on X Sunday morning, referring to Putin’s announcement. “It is a positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war.”

 

President Donald Trump responded optimistically on his TruthSocial platform early Sunday, writing, “It was a potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine!” He continued, “Think of the hundreds of thousands of lives that will be saved as this never-ending ‘bloodbath’ hopefully comes to an end. It will be a whole new, and much better, WORLD. 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!”

 

French President Emmanuel Macron, however, struck a more cautious tone. He described Putin’s proposal as “a first step, but not enough,” and suggested the Russian leader was “looking for a way out, but he still wants to buy time.”

 

Putin’s announcement came at the conclusion of a three-day ceasefire declared by Moscow to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day. The statement also followed a coordinated effort by European leaders, including UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who were in Kyiv on Saturday urging Moscow to extend the pause into an unconditional 30-day ceasefire.

 

Starmer, alongside leaders from France, Germany, and Poland, met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv and later joined a virtual summit with leaders from nearly two dozen European countries. “All of us here, together with the US are calling Putin out,” Starmer said during a joint press conference. “If he’s serious about peace, then he has a chance to show it now by extending the pause into a full, unconditional 30-day ceasefire. With negotiations to follow immediately once a ceasefire is agreed. No more ifs and buts, no more conditions and delays.”

 

Starmer warned that should Putin reject peace efforts, Western nations would respond decisively. “If the Russian leader turns his back on peace, we will respond. Working with President Trump, with all our partners, we’ll ramp up sanctions and increase military aid for Ukraine’s defence.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in response, “We need to think about this. This is a new development,” but reiterated that Russia would not respond to external pressure. “We are open to dialogue, we are open to attempts to resolve [the conflict] in Ukraine. But trying to put pressure on us is rather useless,” he told CNN.

 

Peskov also told ABC News that Russia would consider a 30-day ceasefire if it included a halt to Western arms deliveries to Ukraine — a condition flatly rejected by European and U.S. leaders. “Otherwise it will be an advantage for Ukraine. Ukraine will continue their total mobilisation, bringing new troops to (the) frontline,” he warned.

 

The day was also marked by a highly public and vulgar reaction from Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian president, who tweeted, “Macron, Merz, Starmer, and Tusk were supposed to discuss peace in Kiev. Instead, they are blurting out threats against Russia … Shove these peace plans up your pangender ar**s!”

 

The historic visit by leaders of the UK, France, Germany, and Poland to Kyiv was the first of its kind, widely viewed as a strategic counterpoint to Putin’s Victory Day celebrations in Red Square, where he was joined by China’s President Xi and leaders from Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The geopolitical divide remains stark, and whether peace talks materialize this week as Putin proposes remains uncertain.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Times | Politico  2025-05-12

 

 

[Tug]

We shall see if anything comes of it.I have my doubts.

[Denim]

2 minutes ago, Tug said:

We shall see if anything comes of it.I have my doubts.

Yup. Putin will offer peace on his terms which will remain essentially the same as they did on day one.