Russia’s Putin proposed talks with the Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15

The War Between Ukraine and the Kremlin Under Putin’s Presence During the November 11th Oreshnik Interaction

Russia in November gave the U.S. brief advance warning before striking Ukraine for the first time with its Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile, an experimental hypersonic weapon that Putin claimed could travel at 10 times the speed of sound.

Russian shelling in Ukraine’s northern Sumy region over the past day killed three residents and wounded four more, local officials said. Another civilian died as a Russian drone hit Kherson over the weekend, according to the regional governor.

The threat of more pressure on Moscow by the European leaders came as a result of Putin proposing to accept the 30 day ceasefire that they offered on Saturday.

The Kremlin had no comment on whether Putin would leave or not, as Zelenskyy was conditioning his presence in Turkey on the Monday ceasefire holding. In 2022, the war’s early months, Zelenskyy repeatedly called for a personal meeting with the Russian president but was rebuffed, and eventually enacted a decree declaring that holding negotiations with Putin had become impossible.

In a joint statement, as published on Zelenskyy’s official website, the five leaders called for a ceasefire “lasting at least 30 days” from Monday, to make room for a diplomatic push to end the war.

“An unconditional ceasefire is not preceded by negotiations,” Macron told reporters at the Polish-Ukrainian border, according to French media, adding that Putin is “looking for a way out, but he still wants to buy time.”

We have heard that partners are prepared to further strengthen their sanctions against Russia in the event of a ceasefire. We will see,” he said.

Putin held a series of bilateral talks with foreign officials who attended Moscow’s own celebrations to commemorate the defeat of Nazi Germany, an attempt to emphasize the West’s failure to ostracize it. 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.

Trump said last week that he doubts Putin wants to end his war in Ukraine, expressing new skepticism that a peace deal can be reached soon, and hinted at further sanctions against Russia.

Russia has kept up its attacks along the front line since the start of the talks.

Merz said the European Union and a large coalition of willing around the world are determined to enforce the sanctions against Moscow even if the initiative of the weekend should fail.

Ukraine’s European allies view its fate as fundamental to the continent’s security, and pressure is now mounting to find ways to support Kyiv militarily, regardless of whether Trump pulls out.

He said details about potential European deployments to Ukraine were still being fine-tuned. No mention was made of NATO membership, still Kyiv’s top choice for a security guarantee.

Trump tweeted that “it’s gonna be a BIG day for Russia and Ukraine” after Vladimir Putin’s proposal to restart direct talks with Ukraine

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.

Ukrainian Telegram channels linked the embassy’s warning to reports of an imminent flight ban by Moscow over the Kapustin Yar military training and rocket launch complex. A similar flight ban preceded November’s strike. There was no reply from Russian officials.

Without directly mentioning Moscow’s proposal, Trump said in a social media post several hours after Putin’s overnight remarks that it was “a potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine!”

In his remarks to the media, Putin effectively rejected the offer and proposed restarting direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul without preconditions. Zelenskyy and himself might not be involved in the talks on Thursday.

In 2019: Putin and Zelenskyy met. Zelenskyy enacted a decree saying that holding negotiations with Putin had become impossible after repeated failed attempts to have a personal meeting with the Russian leader.

“Think of the hundreds of thousands of lives that will be saved as this never ending ‘bloodbath’ hopefully comes to an end,” Trump wrote. I will work with both sides to make sure that happens. The USA wants to focus, instead, on Rebuilding and Trade. A BIG week upcoming!” He said that.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Peskov on Sunday: “We are ready” to resolve the problem of the Syrian-Ukrainian conflict

Macron said Sunday that Putin’s offer of direct negotiations with Ukraine is “a first step, but not enough,” signaling continued Western skepticism toward Moscow’s intentions.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in comments aired by Russian state TV on Sunday, called Putin’s proposal “very serious,” aimed at eliminating “the root causes of the conflict,” and said it “confirms a real intention to find a peaceful solution.”

The Kremlin’s report of the call said that Erdogan “fully supported the Russian proposal”, and he was ready to provide a platform for the talks and help organize them.

In a separate phone call to Macron on Sunday, Erdogan said that a “historic turning point” had been reached in efforts to end the war, according to a statement from the Turkish presidential communications office.

Zelenskyy said he was also waiting to see reaction from Western allies who on Saturday promised robust sanctions against Russia if Putin did not abide by the Monday truce.

He reiterated he would be present in Turkey on Thursday. The Associated Press asked the Kremlin spokesman for a response, but he didn’t reply immediately.

Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched simulator drones from six different directions. It said 60 drones were shot down and another 41 simulator drones failed to reach targets due to Ukrainian countermeasures.

The Defense Ministry accused Kiev of violating the three-day ceasefire over a thousand times. Russia has been accused by Ukraine of violating its own truce, with the Ukrainian foreign minister calling it a farce.

A Russian official on Sunday evening also accused Ukrainian forces of a missile strike on a town in Russia’s Kursk region that borders Ukraine. Alexander Khinshtein, acting Gov., stated on Telegram that a hotel was damaged and three people were wounded in Rylsk, a town east of the Ukrainian border.