[Putin: Direct Negotiations with Ukraine Next Thursday, Location Unchanged]
At 2 a.m. local time on May 11, the Russian presidential website reported that Russian President Putin stated to domestic and foreign media that he proposed resuming negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15. He also pointed out that Russia had repeatedly put forward initiatives for a ceasefire, and Russia was not refusing dialogue with the Ukrainian side.
"I would like to remind everyone again, it was not us who interrupted the negotiations in 2022, it was the Ukrainian side that did so. In view of this, despite everything, we have proposed to the Kiev authorities to resume negotiations they interrupted at the end of 2022, to resume direct negotiations. I want to emphasize, there are no preconditions. We propose to start negotiations next Thursday, May 15, immediately, in Istanbul, the same place where the previous negotiations took place and where they were interrupted." Putin announced that he will speak with Turkish President Erdogan tomorrow. Putin has requested him to provide a venue for the negotiations.
"As we all know, Turkish colleagues have repeatedly offered to help organize such negotiations, and President Erdogan has done a lot of work in organizing the negotiations... Tomorrow I plan to talk with President Erdogan of Turkey. I would like to request him to provide such an opportunity for holding negotiations in Turkey. I hope he can confirm his willingness to help seek peace in Ukraine."
Pu tin said, "We are ready for serious negotiations with Ukraine. The significance of these negotiations lies in eliminating the root causes of the conflict and moving towards establishing long-term, stable peace with historical prospects. We do not exclude the possibility of reaching agreements on certain new ceasefires or real ceasefires in these negotiations."
On May 10, the "Resolute Alliance" meeting was held in Kyiv, attended by Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, French President Macron, British Prime Minister Starmer, Polish Prime Minister Tusk, and German Chancellor Merz. After the meeting, these five people also spoke with Trump and set a final deadline for Putin to agree to a full ceasefire for 30 days. Zelenskyy announced that the ceasefire should begin on May 12, but if the Kremlin refuses, new sanctions will be imposed on Russia. Macron pointed out that the sanctions plan has been prepared.
In his nighttime address, Putin actually did not comment on this proposal, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1831780328988700/
Disclaimer: This article only represents the author's personal views.