Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Sunday that Kyiv is prepared to enter peace talks with Russia on May 15 in Istanbul—but only if Moscow agrees to a full 30-day ceasefire starting Monday, May 12.
Zelensky described the renewed prospect of talks as a rare breakthrough in the three-year conflict, calling Russia’s proposal “a positive sign.”
“There is no point in continuing the killing even for a single day,” Zelensky said on social media. “We expect Russia to confirm a ceasefire — full, lasting and reliable — starting tomorrow, May 12, and Ukraine is ready to meet.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has offered to host the negotiations, telling Russian President Vladimir Putin during a phone call that a “window of opportunity” for peace had emerged.
Moscow and Kyiv have not held direct peace talks since March 2022, when early negotiations in Istanbul collapsed after Kyiv rejected a proposed neutrality agreement and NATO renunciation.
Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, reaffirmed Ukraine’s stance: “First, a 30-day ceasefire, then everything else.”
While Zelensky emphasized that the ceasefire would be the “first step in truly ending any war,” Putin avoided directly addressing the proposal in his late-night Kremlin press conference.
Instead, the Russian leader stated, “We propose to the Kyiv authorities to resume the talks that they broke off in 2022, and, I emphasise, without any preconditions.”
Putin added, “We do not exclude that during these talks, we will be able to agree on some new ceasefire,” while accusing the West of trying to prolong the war through “ultimatums” and “anti-Russian rhetoric.”
Western leaders have backed Ukraine’s demand for a ceasefire. French President Emmanuel Macron said he expects Russia to commit “without setting any condition,” and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called the peace overture a “good sign but far from sufficient.”
US President Donald Trump hailed the development, saying it was a “potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine” and pledged support to help end the war.
Despite diplomatic momentum, Ukraine reported over 100 drone strikes from Russia just hours after a Russian-declared 72-hour ceasefire expired at midnight.
The world watches closely as the proposed May 15 meeting in Istanbul could mark a pivotal shift in Europe’s bloodiest conflict since World War II.
