Putin proposes restarting direct peace talks with Ukraine 'without preconditions'

Russian President Vladimir Putin projected restarting nonstop talks with Ukraine successful Istanbul connected May 15, "without preconditions," an connection that came successful effect to Ukraine and its allies urging Moscow to perpetrate to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire.

Putin referenced the unsuccessful 2022 bid talks that took spot successful Istanbul successful the archetypal period of Moscow's full-scale invasion, and projected "restarting" them without preconditions successful remarks to reporters successful the aboriginal hours of Sunday.

Putin's connection came aft leaders from 4 large European countries threatened to ratchet up unit connected Moscow if it does not judge an unconditional 30-day ceasefire successful Ukraine that they offered connected Saturday successful a beardown amusement of unity with Kyiv.

The leaders of France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Poland said their connection for a ceasefire to commencement connected Monday was supported by U.S. President Donald Trump, whom they had briefed implicit the telephone earlier successful the day.

Putin did not straight code this latest ceasefire connection successful remarks connected Sunday, adjacent arsenic Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov earlier told CNN that Moscow volition request to see it.

Russia's ain unilateral three-day ceasefire, declared for the 80th day of triumph implicit Nazi Germany expires Saturday, and Ukraine says Russian forces person repeatedly violated it. In March, the United States projected an immediate, constricted 30-day truce, which Ukraine accepted, but the Kremlin has held retired for presumption much to its liking.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking to reporters alongside the European leaders successful Kyiv, called their gathering "a precise important signal."

In a associated statement, arsenic published connected Zelenskyy's authoritative website, the 5 leaders called for a ceasefire "lasting astatine slightest 30 days" from Monday, to marque country for a diplomatic propulsion to extremity the war.

"An unconditional ceasefire by explanation cannot beryllium taxable to immoderate conditions. If Russia calls for specified conditions, this tin lone beryllium considered arsenic an effort to prolong the warfare and undermine diplomacy," the connection read.

French President Emmanuel Macron said that the U.S. would instrumentality the pb successful monitoring the projected ceasefire, with enactment from European countries, and threatened "massive sanctions ... prepared and co-ordinated, betwixt Europeans and Americans," should Russia interruption the truce.

Macron traveled to Kyiv with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

"This is Europe stepping up, showing our solidarity with Ukraine," Starmer said.

Retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, Trump's peculiar envoy to Ukraine, said Saturday that a "comprehensive" 30-day ceasefire, covering attacks from the air, land, oversea and connected infrastructure, "will commencement the process for ending the largest and longest warfare successful Europe since World War II."

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Meanwhile, Putin connected Saturday held a bid of bilateral talks with overseas officials who had attended Moscow's ain celebrations marking the decision of Nazi Germany, successful an evident effort to underscore the West's nonaccomplishment to isolate it connected the planetary stage. Putin's interlocutors included To Lam, wide caput of the Communist Party of Vietnam, and the leaders of Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso and the Palestinian Authority.

Europe threatens much sanctions

Progress connected ending the three-year warfare has seemed elusive successful the months since Trump returned to the White House, and his erstwhile claims of imminent breakthroughs person failed to travel to fruition. Trump has antecedently pushed Ukraine to cede territory to Russia to extremity the war, threatening to locomotion distant if a woody becomes excessively difficult.

Since the commencement of U.S.-mediated talks, Russia has kept up attacks on the astir 1,000-kilometre front line, including deadly strikes connected residential areas with nary evident subject targets.

The European leaders threatened to ratchet up sanctions, including connected Russia's vigor and banking sectors, if Putin did not comply with the ceasefire.

The precedence was to marque it excessively costly for Russia to support warring successful Ukraine, said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.

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When asked however the monitoring mechanics would work, Sybiha told The Associated Press the details were inactive being discussed.

Addressing skepticism implicit whether caller sanctions against Moscow, which has truthful acold managed to support warring successful the war, Merz said "almost each subordinate states of the European Union and a ample conjugation of the consenting astir the satellite are determined to enforce these sanctions adjacent if our inaugural of the play should fail."

The leaders besides discussed information guarantees for Ukraine.

Building up Kyiv's subject capabilities volition beryllium a cardinal deterrent against Russia and necessitate supplying Ukraine with robust quantities of arms to deter aboriginal attacks, and investing successful its defence sector. A unit comprised of overseas troops could besides beryllium deployed arsenic an added "reassurance" measure, Macron said.

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He said details astir imaginable European deployments to Ukraine were inactive being fine-tuned. No notation was made of NATO membership, inactive Kyiv's apical prime for a information guarantee.

Earlier connected Saturday, the European leaders joined a ceremonial astatine Kyiv's Independence Square marking the 80th day of the extremity of the Second World War. They lit candles alongside Zelenskyy astatine a makeshift emblem memorial for fallen Ukrainian soldiers and civilians slain since Russia's invasion.

Russian attacks continue

Russian shelling successful Ukraine's bluish Sumy portion implicit the past time killed 3 residents and wounded 4 more, section officials said. Another civilian died Saturday arsenic a Russian drone struck the confederate metropolis of Kherson, according to determination Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin.

The U.S. Embassy successful Kyiv connected Friday warned of a "potentially significant" Russian aerial onslaught successful the coming days, without giving details.

Russia successful November gave the U.S. little beforehand informing earlier striking Ukraine for the archetypal clip with its Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile, an experimental hypersonic limb that Putin claimed could question astatine 10 times the velocity of sound.

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Ukrainian Telegram channels linked the embassy's informing to reports of an imminent formation prohibition by Moscow implicit the Kapustin Yar subject grooming and rocket motorboat complex. A akin formation prohibition preceded November's strike. There was nary contiguous remark from Russian officials.

Trump said past week that helium doubts Putin wants to extremity his warfare successful Ukraine, expressing caller skepticism that a bid woody tin beryllium reached soon, and hinted astatine further sanctions against Russia.

Ukraine's European allies presumption its destiny arsenic cardinal to the continent's security, and unit is present mounting to find ways to enactment Kyiv militarily, careless of whether Trump pulls out.