Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed a direct negotiation with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15, “no prerequisites”, a offer made in response to Ukraine and its allies' urging Moscow to commit to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire.
Putin mentioned the 2022 peace talks held in Istanbul in the first month of the full-scale invasion of Moscow and proposed to “restart” them in a speech to journalists in an early morning Sunday without having to speak to journalists without prerequisites.
Putin's proposal puts forward leaders from four major European countries threatening to put pressure on Moscow if Ukraine does not accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, as they proposed on Saturday in a solidarity show with Kiev.
Leaders from France, Britain, Germany and Poland said their proposal to start a ceasefire on Monday was supported by U.S. President Donald Trump, who briefed it over the phone earlier in the day.
Putin did not directly address the latest ceasefire proposal in Sunday's speech, although Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov earlier told CNN that Moscow would need to consider it.
Russia's own unilateral three-day ceasefire declared the 80th anniversary of its defeat of Nazi Germany, expired on Saturday, and Ukraine said Russian troops repeatedly violated Nazi forces. In March, the United States proposed a direct limited 30-day truce, which Ukraine accepted, but the Kremlin was already more satisfied.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke to journalists with European leaders in Kyiv, calling their meeting a “very important signal”.
In a joint statement published on Zelenskyy's official website, five leaders called for a ceasefire from Monday to “last for at least 30 days” to make room for diplomatic efforts to end the war.
“A unconditional ceasefire cannot be subject to any conditions,” the statement said. “If Russia requires such conditions, it can only be regarded as an effort to extend the war and undermine diplomacy.”
French President Emmanuel Macron said the U.S. would lead the surveillance of the proposed ceasefire with the support of European countries and threatened “massive sanctions between Europeans and Americans…prepared and coordinated” if Russia violates the truce.
Macron traveled to Kiev with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
“It is Europe's step-up efforts and a demonstration of our solidarity with Ukraine,” Stamer said.
Trump's franchise tycoon against Ukraine Keith Kellogg said on Saturday that a “full” 30-day ceasefire, covering attacks from the air, land, ocean and infrastructure, “will begin to end the process of the largest and longest war since World War II in Europe.”
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Meanwhile, Putin had a series of bilateral dialogues with foreign officials participating in Moscow’s own celebrations on Saturday, marking the failure of Nazi Germany, an apparent attempt to highlight the West’s failure to isolate it on the global stage. Putin's interlocutors include Vietnamese Communist Party Secretary-General Lin, leaders of Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso and Palestinian authorities.
Europe threatens more sanctions
In the months since Trump returned to the White House, progress to ending the Three Years’ War seemed elusive, with his previous claims about an upcoming breakthrough failing to come true. Trump had previously pushed Ukraine toward Russian territory to end the war and threatened to walk away when the deal became too difficult.
Russia has been attacking about 1,000 kilometers of frontlines since the start of the U.S.-mediated talks, including a deadly strike in residential areas without obvious military targets.
If Putin fails to comply with the ceasefire, European leaders threaten to strengthen sanctions, including Russia's energy and banking sectors.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the top priority is to keep Russia fighting in Ukraine.
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When asked how the monitoring mechanism works, Sybiha told the Associated Press that details are still being discussed.
Meers doubts whether the new sanctions in Moscow, which have been fighting so far in the war, said: “Even if our weekend initiative fails, almost all EU member states and large alliances around the world are willing to enforce these sanctions.”
The leaders also discussed Ukraine's security assurances.
Building Kiev's military capabilities will be a key deterrent against Russia and demand a powerful number of weapons for Ukraine to stop future attacks and invest in the Ministry of Defense. Macron said troops composed of foreign forces could also be deployed as “reliance” measures.
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He said details about the potential deployment of Europe to Ukraine are still being fine-tuned. There is no mention of NATO membership, which remains the top choice for Kiev security guarantees.
Earlier on Saturday, European leaders attended a ceremony held in Kiev’s Independence Square on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. They lighted candles with Zelenskyy in a temporary flag memorial, and Ukrainian soldiers and civilians have been killed since the Russian invasion.
Russian attacks continue
Local officials said that in the past day, Russian shelling in northern Ukraine's northern Sumi area killed three residents and injured four people. Another civilian died and Russian drones hit the southern city of Hessen, according to regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin.
On Friday, the U.S. Embassy in Kiev warned of “potentially important” Russian air strikes in the coming days without providing details.
In November, Russia issued a brief warning to the United States before its first attack on Ukraine with the Oreshnik intermediate ballistic missile, an experimental supersonic weapon that Putin claims can travel 10 times the speed of the sound.
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Ukrainian Telegraph Channel links the embassy’s warnings to reports of Moscow’s ban in Kapustin Yar military training and rocket launch complex. Similar flight bans before the November strike. Russian officials did not immediately comment.
Trump said last week that he suspected Putin wanted to end his war in Ukraine and expressed new suspicion that a peace deal could be reached as soon as possible and hints further sanctions against Russia.
Ukraine's European allies believe its fate is the basis for security on the African continent, and pressure is increasingly looking for ways to support Kiev, regardless of whether Trump withdraws or not.
