Russia proposes ceasefire talks with Ukraine; Trump uploads the decision

New Delhi (India) May 11: Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that Russia is prepared for "direct talks" with Ukraine. The move comes after calls for a ceasefire from US and European officials.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested that "direct talks" be held with Ukraine on Thursday in Istanbul.

The proposal was made after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the leaders of Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Poland stood together in Kyiv and urged Putin to accept a 30-day ceasefire beginning Monday or risk "massive sanctions.”

Putin has said that, “We propose to the Kyiv authorities to resume the talks that they broke off in 2022, and, I emphasise, without any preconditions.”

Putin stated on Sunday that he was in contact with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to help set up "serious negotiations." A truce, he emphasised, must bring a "lasting peace," not only give Ukraine time to reorganise militarily.

"We would like to start immediately, already next Thursday, May 15, in Istanbul, where they were held before and where they were interrupted," Putin stated.

Putin referred to the proposed talks "a first step to a long-lasting stable peace but not a prologue to the continuation of an armed conflict after re-armament and re-equipping of Ukrainian armed forces and feverish digging of trenches in new strongholds.”

In response to international pressure for a ceasefire, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested resuming peace negotiations with Kyiv which US President Donald Trump praised as a "potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine.”

Trump tweeted, “Think of the hundreds of thousands of lives that will be saved as this never-ending ‘bloodbath’ hopefully comes to an end. It will be a whole new, and much better, world. I will continue to work with both sides to make sure that it happens. The USA wants to focus, instead, on Rebuilding and Trade. A big week upcoming!”

Aadrika Tayal