Russia-Ukraine war ending soon? Putin proposes direct peace talks, Trump hails 'potentially great day'

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday proposed direct peace talks with Ukraine to be held in Istanbul on May 15, in what he described as a bid to address the root causes of the war and establish a lasting peace.

Speaking from the Kremlin in the early hours of Sunday, Putin called for Kyiv to return to the negotiating table without preconditions, amid rising international pressure to end a conflict that has dragged on for over three years and claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.

“We are proposing that Kyiv resume direct negotiations without any preconditions,” Putin said. “We offer the Kyiv authorities to resume negotiations already on Thursday, in Istanbul.”

Putin said he planned to speak with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan later in the day to request Turkey’s role in facilitating the talks. He framed the proposal as an alternative to what he described as short-term truces that allow Ukraine to regroup.

“Our proposal, as they say, is on the table,” Putin said. “The decision is now up to the Ukrainian authorities and their curators, who are guided, it seems, by their personal political ambitions, and not by the interests of their peoples.”

There was no immediate response from Ukraine, whose President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has previously said he is open to peace talks, but only after a ceasefire is in place.

How Trump reacted to Putin's proposal

US President Donald Trump, who has called for high-level talks between the two nations and claims a deal is close, welcomed the proposal.

“A potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine!” Trump posted on Truth Social. “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,” Trump added. “The USA wants to focus, instead, on Rebuilding and Trade. A BIG week upcoming!”

Putin’s remarks followed a fresh push by European leaders to pressure Moscow into accepting an unconditional ceasefire. On Saturday, the leaders of France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Poland jointly called for a 30-day truce to begin Monday, a proposal backed by Trump following phone consultations with the European leaders.

Their joint statement, published on Zelenskyy’s official website, emphasised that a ceasefire must be unconditional and serve as a platform for diplomacy.

“If Russia calls for such conditions, this can only be considered as an effort to prolong the war and undermine diplomacy,” the statement read.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the United States would lead in monitoring any ceasefire, with support from European allies.

He also warned of “massive sanctions … prepared and coordinated, between Europeans and Americans,” should Russia violate the truce.

Zelenskyy, appearing with European leaders in Kyiv on Saturday, welcomed the coordinated show of support and called their visit “a very important signal.”

Putin reiterated that Russia does not support a ceasefire that simply allows Ukraine to rearm, instead advocating for an agreement that leads to a sustainable resolution.

Moscow has blamed Ukraine and Western governments for the collapse of earlier talks.

Putin claimed that “those who truly want peace cannot but support” his proposal for renewed negotiations.

The war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, has grown into the most serious confrontation between Moscow and the West since the Cuban Missile Crisis. Despite previous calls for peace and brief attempts at truce, a lasting diplomatic solution has remained elusive.