'The Ball Is in Kyiv’s Court': Putin Calls for May 15 Negotiations in Istanbul

President Vladimir Putin said that he had a scheduled conversation with his Turkish counterpart Recep Erdoğan tomorrow, May 12. During the conversation, Putin will request the possibility of holding negotiations. Vladimir Putin did not rule out that it might be possible to agree on a new ceasefire.

Russia is offering Ukraine to resume direct talks – discontinued in 2022 – on Thursday, May 15, in Istanbul, without any preconditions, President Vladimir Putin announced. He made the statement late on May 11 while speaking to reporters following international meetings with guests attending the 80th Victory Day celebrations.

Putin Proposes Direct Talks with Kyiv on May 15 in Istanbul

"We propose to begin without delay next Thursday, May 15, in Istanbul – the place where previous negotiations were held and where they were interrupted," said Putin.

The President emphasized that Moscow was ready to enter talks without any preconditions.

"We are committed to serious negotiations with Ukraine," Putin assured.

He said the purpose of the talks would be to "eliminate the root causes of the conflict” and to "reach the establishment of a long-term, durable peace with historical perspective.”

"We do not rule out that, in the course of these talks, we may reach an agreement on new ceasefires or a new cessation of hostilities-specifically, a real truce,” Putin stated. The ball is in Kyiv's court, he added.

Putin Mentions Repelled Attacks During Ceasefire

On May 10, a meeting of the so-called "coalition of the willing" was held in Kyiv. Participants included French and Ukrainian Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Volodymyr Zelensky, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and the Prime Ministers of the UK and Poland, Keir Starmer and Donald Tusk. The leaders also held a call with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Following the meeting, they called on Russia to agree to a 30-day ceasefire starting May 12. They threatened sanctions in case of refusal.

The Kremlin reiterated Russia's readiness to begin talks without preconditions.

Background: Negotiation Efforts Since the Start of the Conflict

After the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine, Russian and Ukrainian delegations held several rounds of negotiations in Belarus and Turkey. According to Vladimir Medinsky, the head of the Russian negotiation team and presidential aide, the sides had made progress. He said Kyiv had proposed adopting a neutral status in exchange for security guarantees.

However, the talks were halted in May 2022 after the release of footage from Bucha. Russia's Defense Ministry called it a provocation. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed that Ukraine's goal was to "distract attention from the negotiation process” and that after the Istanbul round, Kyiv began backtracking and introducing new demands.

Later, Putin said Ukraine had initialed an agreement based on the Istanbul talks, but after Russian troops withdrew from the Kyiv and Chernihiv regions, Kyiv discarded the agreement and "threw it into the trash heap of history.” He also claimed European leaders had asked for the withdrawal so Ukraine could negotiate freely, without feeling "a gun to its head.”

"We took that step in hopes of avoiding a serious war, but we were deceived,” Putin said.

Ukraine Ready for Talks – Zelensky

Ukraine is prepared to hold talks if Russia agrees to a “full, long-term, and reliable” ceasefire starting May 12, President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on his Telegram channel.

“This is a good sign — that the Russians are finally thinking about ending the war. The whole world has been waiting for this for a very long time. And the very first step toward truly ending any war is a ceasefire,” he said.

Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian presidential office, also stated that Kyiv was ready for negotiations, but only after a ceasefire is established: “First, a 30-day ceasefire, then everything else.”

Russian authorities have repeatedly stated they are open to a truce, but emphasize that many details must be carefully worked out for it to be effective.