The world is holding its breath as it waits on Russian President Vladimir Putin to accede to peace talks with Ukraine. Moscow, cornered by the world, could meet its neighbour for direct peace talks as soon as Thursday in the most positive sign of a breakthrough in the three-year war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his besieged country is “ready to meet” Kremlin representatives after they suggested peace talks in Istanbul. But Putin has rejected European demands for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire and instead proposed direct talks with Ukraine this week.
He claimed Russia was seeking “serious negotiations” aimed at “moving towards a lasting, strong peace” but will still not guarantee his troops will down their weapons while the warrign countries talk.
Putin’s proposal came after “coalition of the willing” European leaders, including Sir Keir Starmer, threatened to unleash fresh sanctions if Moscow failed to comply with an unconditional 30-day ceasefire starting tomorow.
Zelensky welcomed Russia’s apparent offer of peace talks, but insisted there must be a full, temporary ceasefire in place before any negotiations start.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, he called Putin’s counter-offer of talks without a ceasefire a “positive sign” adding: “The entire world has been waiting for this for a very long time.”
But he cautioned: “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 [Monday] and Ukraine is ready to meet.”
There are concerns Russia’s unwillingness to halt hostilities as a precondition of talks could see it continue to bombard Ukrainian positions as it did during a so-called Easter truce last month.
Moscow has blamed Ukraine for walking away from peace talks – ironically held in Istanbul in 2022 – for continuing the bloody war.
In the draft deal reportedly negotiated by the neighbouring countries shortly after the Russian invasion of February that year Ukraine would have had to agree to permanent neutrality in return for security guarantees.
Putin said: “It was not Russia that broke off negotiations in 2022. It was Kyiv. Russia is ready to negotiate without any preconditions”.
Just hours after the apparent offer of “without preconditions” talks in Turkey Kyiv was targeted in a barrage of Russian drone attacks.
Russia declared a unilateral three-day ceasefire to commemorate the 80th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany between May 8-10, but both sides accused each other of repeatedly violating it.
Moscow said Ukraine had broken the truce more than 14,000 times and made five attempts to breach Russia’s southern border, while Kyiv said Russia had launched more than 100 attack drones during the period.
A temporary cessation in hostilities, which Kyiv did not agree to, expired on Saturday when Sir Keir, President Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk met in Kyiv to “call Putin out”.
There they announced a 30-day ceasefire proposal after receiving the backing of US President Donald Trump who called the prospect of the two warring countries getting round the negotiating table a “potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine”, adding: “Think of the hundreds and thousands of lives that will be saved as this never ending ‘bloodbath’ hopefully comes to an end.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described Putin’s proposal as “very serious” claiming it “confirms a real intention for finding a peaceful solution.”
He said: “The goals of the talks are clear: to eliminate the root causes of the conflict. And also to ensure the interests of the Russian Federation.”
Kyiv has steadfastly refused to concede territory to Russia as part of any peace deal, including Crimea which is regarded as occupied Ukrainian territory, while Moscow wants assurances its neighbour will not join the Nato military alliance.
The number of victims during a vicious three-year conflict is impossible to verify and varies widely, but some military experts claim at least 250,000 people have been killed.
In his first major intervention in the Russia-Ukraine war Pope Leo XIV called for an “authentic and lasting peace”.
Addressing crowds who gathered for Sunday workshop in the Vatican in what was his debut address from St Peter’s basilica, he prayed that God would deliver to the world the “miracle of peace”.
Leo, elected by the papal conclave on Thursday, said: “I carry in my heart the suffering of the beloved Ukrainian people. May whatever is possible be done to reach an authentic, true and lasting peace as soon as possible. May all the prisoners be freed, may children return to their families.”
At Pope Francis’s funeral on April 26 President Zelensky met world leaders to shore up support for a peace deal.
Mr Macron said: “Ending the war in Ukraine is the goal we share with President Trump.
“Ukraine is ready for an unconditional ceasefire. President Zelensky reaffirmed it to me [at Pope Francis’s funeral]. He wishes to work alongside the Americans and the Europeans to make it happen.
“It is now up to Putin to prove that he truly wants peace. [His] proposed negotiations are a first step, but they are not sufficient. An unconditional ceasefire is not preceded by negotiations, by definition.”
