IRIA News

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a resumption of direct peace negotiations with Ukraine, to be held in Istanbul on May 15, 2025. The offer, made without any preconditions, marks Moscow’s most high-profile public initiative to restart peace talks since early 2022.

“We are proposing that Kyiv resume direct negotiations without any preconditions,” Putin told reporters during a press briefing on May 11, 2025. “We offer the Kyiv authorities to resume negotiations already on Thursday in Istanbul.”

Putin emphasized that the goal of the talks would be to “eliminate the root causes of the conflict” and achieve a “long-term, lasting peace” rather than merely securing a temporary halt to fighting. He added, “We do not exclude that during these talks we will be able to agree on some new ceasefire.”

Zelenskyy welcomes the offer

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to the offer with cautious optimism, calling it a “positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war.” Writing on X, Zelenskyy stated, “The entire world has been waiting for this for a very long time.”

However, Zelenskyy made clear that any meaningful dialogue must begin with a full and unconditional ceasefire. “The very first step in truly ending any war is a ceasefire,” he wrote, reiterating his call for a 30-day truce starting on Monday, May 12.

Starting tomorrow, we await a ceasefire — this proposal is on the table. A full and unconditional ceasefire, one that lasts long enough to provide a necessary foundation for diplomacy, could significantly bring peace closer. Ukraine has long proposed this, our partners are… pic.twitter.com/TVpJbldfh4

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 11, 2025

“There is no point in continuing the killing even for a single day. We expect Russia to confirm a ceasefire, full, lasting, and reliable, starting tomorrow, May 12th, and Ukraine is ready to meet,” Zelenskyy added.

Divergence over preconditions

Despite the apparent breakthrough, the two sides remain deeply divided over the framework of the talks. While Ukraine insists on a ceasefire before negotiations begin, Moscow is seeking to initiate dialogue immediately and address any ceasefire during the discussions.

Putin explicitly rejected the idea of a truce as a precondition, stating, “It was not Russia that broke off negotiations in 2022. It was Kyiv. Russia is ready to negotiate without any preconditions.”

The Russian president referenced the 2022 draft deal discussed in Istanbul, which proposed Ukrainian neutrality in exchange for international security guarantees from the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. He also reiterated demands that Ukraine abandon its NATO ambitions and recognize Russian control over four occupied regions, conditions Kyiv has firmly rejected.

US and European reactions

U.S. President Donald Trump, commenting on the developments via Truth Social, urged Ukraine to accept Russia’s offer to meet. “President Putin of Russia doesn’t want to have a Cease Fire Agreement with Ukraine, but rather wants to meet on Thursday, in Turkey, to negotiate a possible end to the BLOODBATH. Ukraine should agree to this, IMMEDIATELY,” Trump wrote.

“At least they will be able to determine whether or not a deal is possible, and if it is not, European leaders, and the U.S., will know where everything stands, and can proceed accordingly!” he added.

Meanwhile, Western European leaders have backed Ukraine’s insistence on a ceasefire. Following a high-level meeting in Kyiv on Saturday, leaders from France, Germany, Poland, and the United Kingdom called for a 30-day truce and warned of intensified sanctions against Russia should it refuse.

They stressed the need for immediate de-escalation, warning that talks without a cessation of hostilities could be exploited by Moscow to regroup militarily.

Turkiye offers to host peace talks

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed that Ankara is prepared to host the proposed negotiations, calling the moment a “historic turning point” in efforts to end the war.

Turkey, a NATO member that maintains good relations with both Ukraine and Russia, previously hosted peace talks in 2022 that briefly appeared to bring the war closer to resolution.

“Turkey will be an ideal host for the possible talks between Russia, Ukraine, and America in the near future,” Erdogan said.

Accusations of broken ceasefire

Despite the diplomatic overtures, both sides accuse each other of violating past ceasefires and undermining trust. Putin claimed that during the most recent 72-hour ceasefire offered last week, Ukraine launched hundreds of drone and missile attacks, including 524 aerial drones and 45 sea drones.

He also referred to a moratorium on striking energy infrastructure and earlier proposed ceasefires around religious holidays, which he says Ukraine disregarded.

Ukraine, for its part, has accused Russia of launching missile strikes during declared ceasefires and using negotiations as a smokescreen to advance on the battlefield.

Stalemate over strategic goals

The underlying strategic gap remains wide. While Kyiv demands a return of all occupied territories and full sovereignty, Russia insists on recognition of its territorial claims and Ukraine’s permanent neutrality.

In addition, Moscow has demanded that the U.S. and its allies recognize Russian control over nearly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory. Russia has expressed conditional acceptance of Ukraine joining the European Union, but remains staunchly opposed to NATO expansion.

The proposal for talks, despite its shortcomings and lack of consensus, has opened a narrow window of opportunity for diplomacy amid a brutal and protracted conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions.

Putin’s proposal and Zelenskyy’s conditional welcome mark a rare convergence after months of hardened positions. However, the absence of a shared starting point threatens to stall progress before talks can even begin.

As the international community watches closely, the coming week could be pivotal. Whether peace talks can genuinely take root or devolve into another missed opportunity depends heavily on the political will of both parties to put lives ahead of territorial claims.