After three years of war, Putin proposes direct talks with Ukraine to end…, meeting in Istanbul on…

Moscow: After three years of war, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday expressed that he wanted peace with Ukraine and has proposed direct talks with Kyiv on May 15 in Istanbul. Putin on Sunday stated that he wanted a durable peace and to eliminate the root causes of the war. Russia sent its army into Ukraine in February 2022, marking the most serious conflict between Moscow and the West since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.

Putin stated that Russia is proposing direct talks with Ukraine which will be held on May 15 in Istanbul to “eliminate the root causes of the conflict” and “to achieve the restoration of a long-term, lasting peace.”

“It was not Russia that broke off negotiations in 2022. It was Kyiv. Nevertheless, we are proposing that Kyiv resume direct negotiations without any preconditions. We offer the Kyiv authorities to resume negotiations already on Thursday, in Istanbul,” Putin said.

“Our proposal, as they say, is on the table, 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,” he added.

Leading European nations, supported by U.S. President Donald Trump, urged an immediate, unconditional 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine. They warned Russia’s President Putin of severe new sanctions if he refused this request within a short timeframe. Trump, aiming for a peacemaking legacy, has repeatedly expressed a desire to halt the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which the U.S. administration views as a proxy war with Russia.

Ukraine, along with former US President Biden and Western European leaders, characterized Russia’s invasion as an act of imperial aggression and pledged unwavering support for Ukraine’s victory.

Vladimir Putin sees the war as a turning point in Russia’s ties with the West. He accused West humiliating Russia after the Soviet Union collapsed by expanding NATO and interfering in areas like Ukraine that he sees as Russia’s domain.

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