Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed hope on Sunday that Moscow would agree to a 30-day ceasefire, affirming that Kyiv is “ready” for direct negotiations to end the ongoing conflict.
His statement followed a late-night press briefing from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who invited Kyiv to talks in Istanbul on May 15 but did not agree to the proposed ceasefire.
During a visit to Kyiv on Saturday, leaders from France, the UK, Germany, and Poland—supported by U.S. President Donald Trump—urged Moscow to accept an immediate, unconditional 30-day ceasefire beginning Monday. The conflict, which began in 2022, has now lasted over three years and claimed thousands of lives.
“There is no point in continuing the killing even for a single day. We expect Russia to confirm a ceasefire — full, lasting and reliable — starting tomorrow, May 12, and Ukraine is ready to meet,” Zelensky posted on social media.
Offering a rare note of optimism, Zelensky also indicated he saw encouraging signs from Moscow.
“It is a positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war,” he said.
“The entire world has been waiting for this for a very long time. And the very first step in truly ending any war is a ceasefire.”
Kyiv and its Western supporters maintain that an unconditional ceasefire is necessary to lay the groundwork for diplomatic negotiations in what has become Europe’s most devastating conflict since World War II.
Russia and Ukraine have not engaged in direct negotiations since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. Since then, the two nations have only communicated to facilitate prisoner swaps and the return of soldiers’ remains.
At a press conference held at nearly 1 a.m. in the Kremlin, Putin responded to European pressure by suggesting a renewal of peace talks without preconditions.
“We propose to the Kyiv authorities to resume the talks that they broke off in 2022, and, I emphasise, without any preconditions,” he said.
“We propose to start (negotiations) without delay on Thursday May 15 in Istanbul,” he added, stating his intention to ask Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to help facilitate the process.
“We do not exclude that during these talks we will be able to agree on some new ceasefire,” Putin said. However, he criticized the West for pushing “ultimatums” and engaging in “anti-Russian rhetoric,” and he did not directly acknowledge the proposed 30-day truce.
Upon returning from Kyiv, French President Emmanuel Macron accused Putin of stalling.
“An unconditional ceasefire is not preceded by negotiations, by definition,” Macron said.
Trump, on the other hand, described the moment as a “potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine,” pledging continued efforts to help both sides reach a resolution.
Meanwhile, Kyiv accused Moscow of violating the 72-hour ceasefire that had expired at midnight on Saturday. Ukrainian officials reported that Russia launched more than 100 drones overnight on Sunday.
“On the night of May 11 (from 2:00 am on May 11), the enemy attacked with 108 Shahed attack drones and various types of imitator drones,” Ukraine’s air force reported, saying it had intercepted 60 of them.
Both sides have accused each other of not honoring the truce.
What you should know
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has publicly declared Ukraine’s willingness to engage in direct peace talks with Russia and called on Moscow to accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire starting May 12.
This comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed resuming negotiations in Istanbul but stopped short of committing to the ceasefire.
The push for the truce is strongly backed by Western allies including France, the UK, Germany, Poland, and the United States, all of whom argue that a temporary halt in hostilities is necessary to pave the way for long-term peace negotiations.
The war, ongoing since February 2022, has resulted in massive casualties and displacement. Despite Putin’s openness to talks, he criticized Western “ultimatums” and has not formally accepted the ceasefire proposal.
Meanwhile, Ukraine reported renewed drone attacks from Russia following the expiration of a short-term truce, raising concerns about the sincerity of both sides in observing any proposed ceasefire.
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