“We are determined to serious negotiations with Ukraine.” The president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, has proposed this Sunday to Ukraine to celebrate a series of direct negotiations on May 15 on neutral terrain, Istanbul. The objective is to find a peaceful exit to the conflict after the proposal launched this Saturday by Volodimir Zelenski and several European leaders.
At a press conference without questions from Kremlin, the Russian leader has assured that he wants to “resume direct negotiations, I insist, without any previous condition.” “Start them without delay, already next Thursday, May 15, in Istanbul,” he reasoned.
Putin recalled that in the Turkish city it was where the Ukrainian authorities suspended negotiations with Russian representatives in March 2022, shortly after the beginning of the Russian military campaign in February.
“Our proposal, as they say, is on the table. The decision now depends on the Ukrainian authorities and their sponsors,” whom he has accused of wanting to “continue war with Russia through Ukrainian nationalists.”
While Moscow accuses the West of convincing kyiv to suspend more than three years ago the negotiations, some analysts suggest that Russia then demanded, among other things, the reduction of the Ukrainian army below 100,000 troops.
Putin has advanced that he plans to come into contact shortly with the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to facilitate the celebration of these conversations in his country. “I hope he confirms his desire to contribute to achieve peace in Ukraine“He pointed out.
Waiting for the Ukrainian reaction
Putin stressed this Sunday that “military actions now take place, a war, and we propose to resume negotiations interrupted not for us.” “What’s wrong with it? Those who really want peace cannot support it,” he said.
“We are determined to serious negotiations with Ukraine. Its meaning lies in eliminating the original causes of the conflict, achieving lasting and solid long -term peace, “he said.
Then, the Kremlin advisor for international affairs, Yuri Ushakov, has assured that Moscow now expects the “reaction” of Ukraine. And Putin added: “We do not rule out that during these negotiations we will reach an agreement on some kind of new truce or fire. By the way, on a real truce that is respected not only by Russia, but also by the Ukrainian part.”
According to the chief of Kremlin, “this would be the first step for lasting and firm peace, and not the prologue for the continuation of the conflict after the rearmament and a new mobilization of the Ukrainian army.”
The president of the United States, Donald Trump, defended in recent weeks that his mediation will not succeed if the two conflict sides do not sit down to negotiate one in front of the other.
However, according to experts, the positions are still irreconcilable, since Moscow demands, among other things, the recognition of the annexed territories, including the Crimean Peninsula, something that the Ukrainian President, Volodimir Zelenski, publicly opposed.
The US vice president himself, JDVANCE, said Moscow asks for “too much”, since its army does not totally control the territory or Donbás or the regions of Jersón and Zaporiyia.
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