Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for direct peace talks with Ukraine.
He has proposed that the talks begin in Istanbul on May 15 and that there will be no preconditions. Putin said the talks would help move towards a lasting peace by eliminating the root causes of the conflict.
The proposal comes at a time when Ukraine and Western allies have called on Russia to agree to a 30-day unconditional ceasefire. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev and called for the ceasefire. They warned that tough sanctions would be imposed if Russia did not agree.
Putin said in his speech that Russia and Ukraine could agree on a new ceasefire, a new peace treaty, and he did not rule it out. He also said that he would discuss the issue with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has not yet commented on Putin’s proposal. However, the Kremlin said that they are considering the proposal, but they will not agree to it under any pressure.
Analysts believe that Russia’s proposal could be a tactic to counter international pressure. If the proposed talks are implemented, it would be the first major peace initiative in the three years of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Source – Al Jazeera.