Putin Proposes Direct Russia-Ukraine Talks in Istanbul on May 15

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed resuming direct peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15, emphasizing there would be no preconditions. His goal, he said, is to secure a lasting peace and address the fundamental causes behind the three-year war.

This announcement came shortly after the leaders of Ukraine, France, Germany, Poland, and the UK gathered in Kyiv to demand a 30-day unconditional ceasefire, a move also endorsed by US President Donald Trump. They warned of heavy sanctions against Moscow if Russia refused the proposal.

Putin dismissed the ceasefire call as a European ultimatum laced with anti-Russian sentiment. Instead, he suggested fresh negotiations in Istanbul, beginning as soon as Thursday, and said he would speak with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to facilitate the discussions. Ukraine has yet to officially respond to Putin’s latest offer.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has previously expressed willingness to negotiate peace, but only after a ceasefire is in place.

The full-scale war began in February 2022, resulting in hundreds of thousands of military casualties and marking the most serious conflict between Russia and the West since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. Initial attempts at peace talks were held in Istanbul but collapsed without an agreement.

Putin said Russia is now prepared to restart talks to truly resolve the core issues and bring about a long-term peace not just a temporary truce for rearmament. He acknowledged that a new ceasefire could be reached during the discussions.

The Russian leader has faced growing pressure from Trump and European nations to end the war but continues to hold firm on certain demands. These include Ukraine abandoning its pursuit of NATO membership and withdrawing from four regions claimed by Russia. Moscow also wants the US to recognize Russian control over a fifth of Ukraine and insists Kyiv should remain neutral, although Russia does not object to Ukraine joining the European Union.

Putin referenced a draft agreement from the 2022 talks in Istanbul, which proposed Ukraine’s permanent neutrality in exchange for security guarantees from the five permanent UN Security Council members. He blamed Ukraine for breaking off the negotiations.

Putin claimed Russia had suggested various ceasefires including over Easter and during the 80th anniversary of World War II victory celebrations but said Ukraine had violated each one. During the May ceasefire, he accused Kyiv of launching hundreds of drone and missile attacks. Ukraine, meanwhile, has made similar accusations against Russia.

According to Anatol Lieven of the Quincy Institute, both sides are trying to avoid being blamed for stalled peace efforts, especially with Trump pressuring for an end to the war. Depending on whom Trump blames, US support for Ukraine could either continue or be significantly reduced, which would affect the war’s trajectory.

Earlier on Saturday, the leaders of France, Germany, Poland, and the UK visited Kyiv for the first time together. Their joint statement called for a 30-day ceasefire starting Monday to allow diplomatic progress. French President Emmanuel Macron said the US would oversee the ceasefire’s enforcement with European support, and warned of coordinated sanctions if Russia failed to comply.

Retired US Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg, Trump’s envoy to Ukraine, said the 30-day truce would be a major step toward ending Europe’s longest war since World War II. Trump, seeking to portray himself as a peace broker, has repeatedly stated his desire to stop what he calls a “bloodbath.”

While Trump frames the conflict as a proxy war between the US and Russia, Western leaders, including former President Joe Biden and Ukraine, see it as a blatant land grab by Moscow. Putin, however, describes the war as a pivotal moment in Russia’s resistance against NATO expansion and the post-Soviet order that, in his view, has sidelined Russia’s rightful influence in the region.