Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for the resumption of direct peace talks with Ukraine, proposing a meeting in Istanbul on May 15 without any preconditions.
The offer has been welcomed by Turkey’s strongman President Erdoğan and cautiously echoed by US President Donald Trump, but rejected by Kyiv and Europe’s globalist leaders, who are insisting that Russia first agree to an “unconditional” 30-day ceasefire.
Speaking from the Kremlin in a late-night address, Putin stated: “We propose the Kyiv authorities resume the negotiations they interrupted at the end of 2022… without any preconditions… to begin without delay next Thursday, 15 May in Istanbul.” He emphasized that the talks should aim for a “long-term, lasting peace” and not just a pause in hostilities.
WATCH: Putin’s full statement after talks with world leaders
Major point: peace talks proposal for Ukraine.
Time? May 15
Where? Istanbul (Turkey)
Will Zelensky agree? pic.twitter.com/laji4ONA5e
— Ignorance, the root and stem of all evil (@ivan_8848) May 11, 2025
The Istanbul talks in March 2022, according to former U.S. officials speaking to Foreign Affairs, had produced the framework for a tentative peace deal. Russian officials, including Putin, later confirmed that a settlement was close. However, the process abruptly collapsed following intensified Western intervention. A report by Ukrainska Pravda revealed that then–UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited Kyiv in April 2022 and urged Zelensky not to sign any agreement with Russia.
Those Istanbul negotiations had reportedly included provisions that would have seen Ukraine adopt neutrality in exchange for international security guarantees—a framework that has since been all but ignored by Western allies.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, for his part, has responded with conditions of his own. “I will be waiting for Putin in Türkiye on Thursday. Personally,” Zelensky wrote on X. “But only if Moscow agrees to a full and lasting ceasefire, starting from tomorrow.” He further warned that Kyiv was tired of what he called Moscow’s “excuses.”
We await a full and lasting ceasefire, starting from tomorrow, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy. There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will be waiting for Putin in Türkiye on Thursday. Personally. I hope that this time the Russians will not look for…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 11, 2025
This conditional stance has raised eyebrows in some quarters, as it appears Kyiv continues to set hurdles for talks it previously abandoned in 2022, leaving many with the impression that it’s not serious about reaching a peace agreement.
President Erdoğan, maintaining his country’s unusual position as a NATO member with balanced ties to both Russia and Ukraine, reiterated Ankara’s willingness to host negotiations.
According to a readout from his office, Erdoğan told Putin that “a comprehensive ceasefire would create the necessary environment for peace talks,” but welcomed Russia’s willingness to return to the table.
Turkey’s role stands in stark contrast to that of the European bloc. At a summit in Kyiv, attended by Zelensky along with exceedingly unpopular globalist premiers like French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, leaders issued a joint ultimatum to Moscow: agree to an immediate 30-day ceasefire or face severe new sanctions.
“All of us here, together with the US, are calling Putin out,” Starmer declared. “If he turns his back on peace, we will respond. We will ramp up sanctions and increase our military aid for Ukraine’s defence.”
Critics, particularly in Central Europe, note the irony of Western powers demanding “unconditional” ceasefires while simultaneously rejecting Russia’s offer for unconditional talks. Hungary, though not directly represented at the Kyiv summit, has frequently criticized what it calls the West’s double standards and endless escalation.
Moscow has dismissed Kyiv’s ceasefire demands as tactical stalling, suggesting Ukraine would exploit the lull to rearm. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that Russia was reviewing the terms of the Western-backed truce, but remained skeptical of its sincerity given Ukraine’s previous violations of three Russian-initiated ceasefires — including the recent 72-hour Victory Day pause.
President Trump, commenting via Truth Social, said, “There’s a big week upcoming,” and reiterated his desire to end the “never-ending bloodbath.” He added that “the USA wants to focus, instead, on rebuilding and trade,” signaling a shift away from Washington’s current posture of open-ended support for Kyiv.
In private discussions with European leaders during the Kyiv summit, Trump reportedly urged Zelensky to accept Moscow’s offer “immediately,” according to aides. Trump’s team has argued that “Moscow doesn’t want a mere ceasefire—it wants to negotiate a possible end to the bloodbath.”
This latest episode reveals the increasingly fractured approach to the war. While Ukraine, backed by its Western patrons, insists on dictating terms before negotiations, Russia, despite its continued wins on the battlefield, has shown a willingness to talk. Turkey, meanwhile, has emerged as one of the few actors capable of brokering a serious diplomatic track, if only both sides are prepared to engage.
Whether Kyiv’s conditions amount to a diplomatic deadlock or a negotiating strategy remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that peace will remain elusive as long as ceasefire demands are used as political leverage rather than starting points for dialogue.
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