Kateryna Hirnyk10:53, 11.05.25

This is Putin’s latest attempt to avoid commitments to a 30-day ceasefire.

Vladimir Putin’s offer of direct talks with Ukraine is his latest attempt to avoid committing to a 30-day ceasefire. The lead-up to the announcement was extremely bizarre, and it seemed “hastily thrown together in a corridor,” writes Sky News .

The publication notes that although the Kremlin called this a significant statement by Vladimir Putin, his comments exactly repeat what Moscow has been saying for several weeks, only with the addition of a date.

Putin has proposed holding direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15 to discuss the details of a longer-term ceasefire. However, “the problem is that Turkey doesn’t seem to know about it,” writes Sky News, as Putin said he would call President Recep Tayyip Erdogan tomorrow.

“Given America’s apparent support for Europe’s ultimatum to Russia (ceasefire or sanctions), he should have responded with something new. But this proposal looked as if it had been hastily thrown together in a hallway,” the publication notes.

The build-up to this announcement was also extremely strange. It was initially announced that it would be a press conference where the media would be able to ask questions, but a statement from the “coalition of the determined” from Ukraine changed everything:

“It was initially done as a summary of the bilateral meetings that Putin held this week with the leaders of the countries that came to celebrate Victory Day. But the ultimatum from Europe seems to have caught the Kremlin by surprise.”

By the time Putin finally appeared around 2 a.m., there were no more questions, just a statement. As a result, it is unclear why journalists were invited, the publication notes.

At the same time, when a SkyNews correspondent was able to ask Putin’s press secretary a question, asking him whether this was another delaying tactic on the part of Russia, he received an assurance in response that “This is a very serious approach.”

Proposal for negotiations

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at a press conference following the meeting of the “Coalition of the Willing” that Ukraine, European countries, and the United States have agreed to begin a complete and unconditional ceasefire starting May 12. It should last at least 30 days.

After which the Russian dictator made a corresponding proposal – to resume negotiations with Ukraine on May 15 – in Turkey, without preconditions.

At the same time, according to him, Moscow may in the future extend the ceasefire announced on May 9. He did not mention the proposal for a ceasefire for 30 days .

(c)UNIAN 2025