Russia’s Putin wants to have talks withUkraine on May 15
First German Chancellor Friedrich Merz Meets with the Prime Minister on a Train: The French-Russian-Prussian Cooperation in Kiev
French President gave a video of the leaders’ journey by train, with Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian First Lady in attendance, on his social media accounts. The Prime Minister said it was an honor to meet with him in a city where Russian attacks are frequent.
Putin’s proposal came after leaders from four major European countries threatened to ratchet up pressure on Moscow if it does not accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine that they offered on Saturday in a strong show of unity with Kyiv.
“The ceasefire must be comprehensive: in the air, at sea and on land,” Zelenskyy told reporters. It is possible for the ceasefire to be monitored in coordination with the US. The ceasefire should last for 30 days to give diplomacy a real chance.”
“All of us here, together with the U.S., are calling Putin out,” added British prime minister Keir Starmer. “If he’s serious about peace then he has a chance to show it now.”
This ceasefire could start as early as Monday, if Russia agrees to it. That seems unlikely. Russian news agency Interfax quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying “We hear many conflicting statements from Europe.” They are generally confrontational in nature rather than aimed at trying to revive our relations. Nothing more.” Putin also continues to press Kyiv to surrender large parts of eastern and southern Ukraine that Russian forces have failed to occupy.
The leaders of Poland, Germany, and France traveled together to Kyiv to take part in a virtual meeting with other European nations who would assist Ukraine if there was a durable ceasefire after more than three years.
Those joining by video link included Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, Canada’s Mark Carney, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
This was the first visit to Ukraine by the new German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, a strong Ukraine advocate who assumed office on May 6. Europe will keep defending Ukraine if Russia rejects the ceasefire proposal, said Merz on Saturday.
Russia gave the U.S. a brief advance warning before attacking Ukraine with its Oreshnik intermediate-range missiles, an experimental hypersonic weapon that Putin claimed could travel at 10 times the speed of sound.
Russian shelling killed three people and wounded four more in the past day in Ukranian’s northern Sumy region. The governor of the region stated that a Russian drone struck the southern city of Kherson and that there was at least one death.
Russia’s Putin proposes direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15: A U.S.-based defiant message to the West
Putin said on Sunday that the Kremlin needs a truce, not just one that will allow Ukraine to rearm and mobilize more men into its armed forces.
Turkey hosted unsuccessful talks between the Russian and Ukrainian negotiators to end the fighting after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The proposed deal reportedly included provisions for Ukraine’s neutral status and put limits on its armed forces, while delaying talks on the status of Russian-occupied areas.
The definition of a truce by definition does not include any conditions. If Russia calls for such conditions, this can only be considered as an effort to prolong the war and undermine diplomacy,” the statement read.
The leaders of France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Poland said their proposal for a ceasefire to start on Monday was supported by U.S. President Donald Trump, whom they had briefed over the phone earlier in the day.
In a show of defiance to the West, Putin held a string of bilateral talks with foreign officials who had attended Moscow’s own celebrations to mark the defeat of Nazi Germany. Putin’s interlocutors included To Lam, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, and the leaders of Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso and the Palestinian Authority.
Last week, Trump expressed skepticism that a peace deal could be reached soon, and warned of more sanctions against Russia.
Russia has kept up attacks along the 600 mile front line since the beginning of the talks.
Merz said that almost all member states of the European Union and a lot of the willing around the world are determined to enforce the sanctions even if they don’t work.
Building up Kyiv’s military capabilities will be a key deterrent against Russia and require supplying Ukraine with robust quantities of arms to deter future attacks and investing in its defense sector. A force comprised of foreign troops could also be deployed as an added “reassurance” measure, Macron said.
The details about European deployment to Ukraine were still being worked out. NATO is still the top choice of Kyiv for a security guarantee.
Source: Russia’s Putin proposes direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15
End of World War II in Kyiv and Istanbul: Putin and the “next-to-Minimal” talks are in the big picture’
Earlier on Saturday, the European leaders joined a ceremony at Kyiv’s Independence Square marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. They lit candles alongside Zelenskyy at a makeshift flag memorial for fallen Ukrainian soldiers and civilians slain since Russia’s invasion.
The embassies’ warnings to the public were linked by Ukrainian Telegram channels to reports of a flight ban by Moscow. A similar flight ban preceded November’s strike. Russian officials didn’t comment immediately.
He said they are “very close to a deal” on ending the war and that they should meet for high level talks.
Putin referenced the unsuccessful 2022 peace talks that took place in Istanbul in March, shortly after Moscow’s full-scale invasion, and proposed “restarting” them without preconditions in remarks to reporters in the early hours of Sunday.