Hopes for an end to the Russia-Ukraine war are growing as both sides appear ready to begin peace talks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed Vladimir Putin’s offer to restart direct peace talks in Istanbul next week.
But the prospect of negotiations is being stalled by the thorny issue of a full, temporary ceasefire beforehand.
The leaders of four major European countries threatened to ratchet up pressure on Putin if he did not agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire by Monday.
In response, the Russian leader’s right hand man Dmitry Medvedev told them to ‘shove these peace plans’.
Later that evening, however, Putin announced his desire to restart peace talks, adding: ‘We are committed to serious negotiations with Ukraine.’
His Ukrainian counterpart celebrated the news of potential negotiations, but maintained that the ceasefire would have to be in place first.
Zelensky said on X: ‘It is a positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war.
‘The entire world has been waiting for this for a very long time. And the very first step in truly ending any war is a ceasefire.
‘There is no point in continuing the killing even for a single day. We expect Russia to confirm a ceasefire – full, lasting, and reliable – starting tomorrow, May 12th, and Ukraine is ready to meet.’
The last ceasefire attempt was a one-sided declaration of a pause by Putin to coincide with the 80th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany.
Ukraine said Russian forces repeatedly violated their own three-day ceasefire.
Russia countered that Ukraine, which did not agree to the truce, had violated it 14,000 times.
Putin has now once again stepped up his country’s drone attacks against Ukraine, launching 108 attack drones and simulator drones from six different directions, Ukraine’s air force said.
These attacks saw destruction to private houses in the Kyiv region and left one man injured.
In March, the US proposed an immediate, limited 30-day truce which was accepted by Ukraine, but the Kremlin has held out for terms more to its liking.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the change of tone over the weekend a ‘historic turning point’ in efforts to end the war.
He wants to play host to any potential talks, and spoke to French PresidentEmmanuel Macron and Putin today in separate phone calls today.
Macron, Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk all met with Zelensky in Kyiv on Saturday to call for a 30-day ceasefire starting Monday.
The bloc said they were prepared to unleash more sanctions on Russia if Putin did not comply.
They also rejected any attempt to impose conditions on the truce, saying: ‘An unconditional ceasefire by definition cannot be subject to any conditions.
‘If Russia calls for such conditions, this can only be considered as an effort to prolong the war and undermine diplomacy.’
US President Trump, who once told Zelensky he was ‘gambling with’ a third world war, endorsed the ceasefire plan.
He said on his Truth Social site: ‘A potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine!
‘Think of the hundreds of thousands of lives that will be saved as this never ending “bloodbath” hopefully comes to an end.
‘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!’
Western scepticism remains over Moscow’s true intentions.
Macron called the proposal ‘a first step, but not enough,’ and said a ceasefire was needed first.
But a Kremlin spokesperson doubled down, calling it ‘a real intention for find a peaceful solution.’
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