Putin Urges Ukraine to Resume Direct Talks in Istanbul
Russian President Vladimir Putin has called on Ukraine to immediately resume direct negotiations in Istanbul. He made the statement during a press conference at the Kremlin, broadcast by TASS, in the early hours of May 11.
«We have repeatedly proposed steps towards a ceasefire. We have never rejected dialogue with the Ukrainian side. Let me remind you again: we were not the ones who broke off talks in 2022. That was the decision of the Ukrainian side,» Putin said.
«Therefore, despite everything, we are proposing that the authorities in Kyiv resume the negotiations they interrupted at the end of 2022—without any preconditions,» he added.
He proposed launching the next round of talks on Thursday, May 15.
Putin also noted that he will discuss the matter with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan tomorrow.
He did not rule out that a ceasefire agreement could emerge from these negotiations.
«There’s a war going on right now, and we’re proposing talks—what’s wrong with that?» he remarked.
The Russian president expressed gratitude to the governments of China, Brazil, and the new US administration for their mediation efforts in the conflict.
Due to the late hour, journalists were not given the opportunity to ask Putin questions.
