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3mo ago

Zelensky and Putin Set for Istanbul Talks as Ceasefire Standoff Persists

Ukraine demands a ceasefire ahead of negotiations, while Russia insists talks should begin without preconditions as both leaders prepare for a potential meeting on May 15.

This combination of pictures created on May 12, 2025 shows a pool photograph distributed by Russia's state agency Sputnik bearing Russian President Vladimir Putin during an interview to RIA Novosti news agency at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 12, 2024 and a picture of Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky during the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue summit at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore on June 2, 2024.
From left, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz make a call to US President Donald Trump from Kyiv on Saturday.
A local resident looks at a damaged private house after Russian shelling in Kramatorsk, Donetsk region on May 11, 2025, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Tetiana DZHAFAROVA / AFP) (Photo by TETIANA DZHAFAROVA/AFP via Getty Images)
Russian President Vladimir Putin gives a statement to the media at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia May 11, 2025. Sergey Bobylev/Host agency RIA Novosti/Handout via REUTERS

Overview

  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed he will attend peace talks in Istanbul on May 15, contingent on Russia agreeing to a 30-day ceasefire starting May 12.
  • Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed direct negotiations in Istanbul without preconditions, rejecting European and Ukrainian calls for an immediate ceasefire.
  • Western leaders, including those of France, Germany, the UK, and Poland, have threatened new sanctions against Russia if it does not agree to the truce.
  • U.S. President Donald Trump diverged from European allies by urging Ukraine to accept Russia's proposal for immediate talks without waiting for a ceasefire.
  • Despite diplomatic efforts, Russian drone attacks resumed after a brief pause, with Ukraine reporting over 100 drones launched on May 11.