ReutersRussian President Vladimir Putin has invited Ukraine to participate in “direct talks” on 15 Could, hours after European leaders urged Moscow to conform to a 30-day ceasefire.
In a uncommon televised late-night deal with from the Kremlin, Putin stated Russia was looking for “critical negotiations” aimed toward “transferring in the direction of an enduring, robust peace”.
Earlier on Saturday, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer travelled to Kyiv with counterparts from France, Germany and Poland to place strain on Russia to decide to an unconditional ceasefire, beginning Monday.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later stated Moscow would “need to assume this via” – however warned that “attempting to strain us is kind of ineffective”.
In his personal assertion, Putin stated he may “not rule out” the likelihood that the talks may end in Russia and Ukraine agreeing “a brand new truce”.
The Russian chief stated the proposed talks ought to be held within the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul, as they’ve been earlier than, and that he would communicate to Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday to debate the main points.
Kyiv has not responded to the invitation.
The Ukrainian capital performed host on Saturday to Sir Keir, France’s Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Friedrich Merz and Poland’s Donald Tusk, who kind a part of the “coalition of the keen” – a bunch of nations dedicated to supporting Ukraine.
Alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, they took half in a joint information convention.
The leaders warned that “new and large” sanctions can be imposed on Russia’s power and banking sectors ought to Putin not conform to the unconditional 30-day ceasefire “within the air, at sea and on land”.
Getty PhotographsIn addition they stated they’d mentioned the proposal with Donald Trump. Sir Keir later informed the BBC the US president was “completely clear” that their suggestion of a right away ceasefire was a “demand that should be met”.
After the assembly, Zelensky thanked the assembled leaders for “standing with” Ukraine.
“Right this moment we’ll concentrate on tips on how to construct and assure actual and lasting safety,” he stated.
Responding to the proposal, the Kremlin’s Peskov stated: “It’s a new improvement. However attempting to strain us is kind of ineffective.”
Russian state media additionally quoted him as saying that statements from Europe had been “typically confrontational in nature fairly than aimed toward attempting to revive our relationships”.
Moscow has beforehand stated that earlier than contemplating a ceasefire, the West should first halt its navy help to Ukraine.
Putin later made his personal assertion, with video exhibiting journalists assembled in a corridor contained in the Kremlin.
“This may be step one in the direction of a long-term, lasting peace, fairly than a prologue to extra armed hostilities after the Ukrainian armed forces get new armaments and personnel, after feverish trench-digging and the institution of recent command posts,” he stated.
“Who wants peace like that?”
Putin additionally accused Ukraine of getting repeatedly failed to answer a number of ceasefire proposals from Moscow, together with a 30-day halt in assaults on power infrastructure and final month’s Easter truce.
One other ceasefire Putin flagged was one he ordered in April to coincide with World Battle Two commemorations. It ended on Saturday at midnight native time (21:00 GMT).
Kyiv had rejected the unilateral, three-day ceasefire, calling it a “theatrical present”. As an alternative, Zelensky reiterated requires an extended truce of not less than 30 days.
Whereas it noticed a lower in combating, both sides accused the opposite of breaches.
On Thursday – the identical day the supposed ceasefire took impact – Ukraine accused Russia of greater than 730 violations and stated it was responding “appropriately”.
Russia’s defence ministry insisted the truce was being noticed, earlier than accusing Ukraine of 488 violations.
“In the end, we’re providing the Kyiv authorities to renew the negotiations… resume direct talks, and I stress, with none preconditions,” Putin stated on Saturday.
The final direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv occurred in 2022, the 12 months Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
