Putin says Russia is 'dedicated' to restart talks with Kyiv, suggests Could 15 begin

MOSCOW — President Vladimir Putin of Russia stated early Sunday that his nation is dedicated to restart direct talks with Kyiv about ending their struggle, and steered the following discussions start Could 15 in Turkey.

He stated he was scheduled to talk to Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, later Sunday with hopes of holding talks subsequent week in Istanbul. There could be no preconditions on Russia’s half, he stated.

Putin stated Ukraine walked away from such talks prior to now and broke ceasefire agreements, although each side have been blamed for assaults over the past three ceasefires. He used language that expressed his want for severe talks with long-term penalties, together with long-lasting peace.

Putin’s feedback got here on the final day of the three-day ceasefire declared by Russia, and nearly instantly after leaders from the UK, France, Poland and Germany threatened to extend sanctions towards the nation if he doesn’t settle for an unconditional, 30-day ceasefire beginning Monday.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.Okay. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on the memorial of fallen Ukrainian troopers at independence sq. in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Saturday.Evgeniy Maloletka / AP

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, U.Okay. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made the demand for an unconditional ceasefire in a information briefing, which included over 30 international locations which have pledged to strengthen Ukraine. Additionally they joined Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the memorial of fallen Ukrainian troopers at independence sq. in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Saturday.

The leaders stated the proposal to begin the ceasefire Monday was supported by U.S. President Donald Trump, whom they’d briefed over the cellphone earlier within the day.

The White Home didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

The ceasefire goals to implement a halt to combating on land, sea and air. The world leaders’ present of pressure got here amid mounting efforts to influence Moscow to conform to a truce that might enable for peace talks on ending over three years of struggle.

Retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, Trump’s particular envoy to Ukraine, stated on X on Saturday that such a ceasefire may “begin the method for ending the biggest and longest struggle in Europe since World Warfare II.”

Kellogg enlisted a quote from Trump — “cease the killing now” — to bolster his personal assertion in assist of a 30-day ceasefire.

Putin has beforehand stated he desires Ukraine to withdraw from 4 areas — Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson — which Russia illegally annexed shortly after invading Ukraine in February 2022. He has additionally insisted that Ukraine promise by no means to affix NATO, settle for restrictions on the scale of its military, and defend Russian tradition and language contained in the nation.

Final week, Putin stated Russia had ample power and assets to take the struggle in Ukraine to its logical conclusion, although he hoped there could be no want to make use of nuclear weapons.