Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Sunday his anticipation that Moscow would agree to a 30-day ceasefire, emphasizing that Ukraine is “prepared” for direct negotiations with Russia regarding the truce.
Zelensky’s comments followed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invitation to Kyiv for discussions in Istanbul on May 15, made during a late-night press conference in the Kremlin, although Putin did not affirm a ceasefire.
During a visit to Kyiv on Saturday, leaders from France, the U.K., Germany, and Poland, backed by U.S. President Donald Trump, pressed Russia to commit to an unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine to commence on Monday.
The ongoing Russian invasion, now surpassing three years, has resulted in the deaths of thousands.
“There is no justification for prolonging this violence for even a single day. We expect Russia to announce a ceasefire — one that is complete, enduring, and dependable — starting from tomorrow, May 12, and Ukraine stands ready for discussions,” Zelensky shared via social media.
In a display of rare optimism, the Ukrainian president noted he had detected favorable indicators from Russia.
“It is encouraging that Russia is finally entertaining the possibility of concluding the war,” Zelensky remarked.
“The whole world has been awaiting this moment for a long time. An essential initial step toward genuinely terminating any conflict is achieving a ceasefire.”
Kyiv, along with its Western partners, has maintained that an unconditional ceasefire is the sole pathway to facilitate a diplomatic resolution to the darkest conflict in Europe since World War II.
There has been no direct dialogue between Russia and Ukraine since March 2022, shortly following the initiation of Moscow’s invasion in February of that year.
Since the Kremlin deployed troops into Ukraine, communication has been limited to discussions surrounding the exchange of prisoners of war and the remains of deceased servicemen.
Earlier, during a press conference that took place around 1 am (2200 GMT) in the Kremlin, Putin responded to the Europeans’ demand.
“We invite the authorities in Kyiv to recommence the talks they broke off in 2022, and I emphasize, without any prerequisites,” he stated.
“We propose to begin negotiations without delay on Thursday, May 15, in Istanbul,” Putin added, noting he would soon confer with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to seek assistance in facilitating the talks.
“We do not rule out that during these discussions, we could agree on a new ceasefire,” Putin remarked.
However, he also accused Ukraine’s Western supporters of wishing to “prolong the war with Russia” and criticized European “ultimatums” and “anti-Russian rhetoric” without specifically referring to the proposal for a 30-day ceasefire put forth by Ukraine and its European partners.
On his return from Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron accused Putin of attempting to “buy time” with his announcement.
Conversely, U.S. President Donald Trump described the situation as a “potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine,” expressing his commitment to collaborating with both parties to bring an end to the conflict.
On Sunday, Kyiv also alleged that Moscow had launched over 100 drones at Ukraine, following the conclusion of a Russian-announced 72-hour ceasefire at midnight Saturday.
Kyiv had not reported any drone assaults since Thursday when the ceasefire was initiated, although it accused Moscow of violating the truce hundreds of times.
Russia, in turn, alleged that Ukraine did not abide by the ceasefire.
“During the night of May 11 [from 2:00 am on May 11], the adversary attacked with 108 Shahed strike drones and various types of imitation drones,” Kyiv’s air force reported, noting that 60 of them had been intercepted.
