Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reacted to the proposal from Russian leader Vladimir Putin regarding the resumption of negotiations in Istanbul on May 15. He described this initiative as a positive signal and expressed hope for an end to the war.
This is reported by Kyiv24
“It is a good sign that the Russians have finally started thinking about ending the war. Everyone in the world has been waiting for this for a long time. And the very first step in truly ending any war is a ceasefire.”
Zelensky emphasized that there is no sense in continuing the killings even for one more day. According to him, Ukraine is awaiting confirmation from Russia of a ceasefire, which should be complete, lasting, and reliable, starting from May 12. At the same time, he noted that Ukraine is ready for a meeting and dialogue.
Negotiation Situation and International Reaction
In response to Putin’s initiative, the Russian president proposed to resume “direct negotiations” with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15. Meanwhile, Ukraine, along with its allies, insisted on an unconditional ceasefire starting from May 12, but these proposals were not unanimously supported in Russia.
Putin stated that Russia had allegedly “repeatedly proposed steps for a ceasefire with the Ukrainian side,” without specifying details. Former U.S. President Donald Trump also commented on this topic, stating on the social media platform Truth Social about a “potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine.” According to him, hundreds of thousands of lives could be saved, and he is working with both sides to make this happen.
As of now, Ukraine has not commented on Putin’s proposal for negotiations in Istanbul on May 15. At a meeting of the “coalition of the willing” in Kyiv, a decision was made to initiate an unconditional and complete ceasefire starting from May 12, which is to last at least 30 days.
After this, all five leaders—Volodymyr Zelensky, Emmanuel Macron, Friedrich Merz, Donald Tusk, and Keir Starmer—held a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump. He called for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, warning that if this demand is ignored, Washington and its partners will impose additional sanctions.