Putin's Proposal to Ukraine

Moscow has offered Kyiv to resume negotiations without preconditions. This was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin during a press conference held shortly after midnight.

Putin emphasized that he proposes to restart direct negotiations in Istanbul on May 15, which were interrupted at the end of 2022. He plans to discuss this matter with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan tomorrow.

“We are committed to serious negotiations with Ukraine. Their goal is to eliminate the root causes of the conflict and achieve a long-term, sustainable peace with a historical perspective,” said Putin.

The Russian President did not rule out that it may also be possible to reach agreements on new ceasefires during those negotiations. He stated that it concerns a real ceasefire, which will be maintained not only by Russia.

“Our proposal, as they say, is on the table; the decision is up to Kyiv and its guides, who seem to be driven by their political ambitions rather than the interests of their people, ready to continue the war against Russia through Ukraine,” said the Russian President.

“Right now, military operations, a war, are ongoing, while we are offering negotiations. What is wrong with that? Those who truly want peace cannot fail to support it,” he said, thanking all international partners who are making mediating efforts towards conflict resolution, including the new US administration.

He reminded that Russia had offered Ukraine a three-day ceasefire, but the Kyiv authorities did not respond to this offer and noted that after this proposal, Kyiv launched large-scale attacks.

“During the 80th anniversary of Victory, Kyiv's attacks had no military significance, while the Ukrainian armed forces suffered significant losses,” said the Russian President.

He noted that the Kyiv authorities attempted to intimidate foreign leaders attending the 80th anniversary of Victory in Moscow, while some European countries continue to speak to Russia in a rude manner, using ultimatum language.