Vladimir Putin put forward the proposal of talks between the two countries after European leaders threatened him with fresh sanctions if Russia failed to comply with an unconditional 30-day ceasefire. It comes after he said his team were “ready to meet” Russian representatives following Vladimir Putin’s suggestion of peace talks, subject to an unconditional ceasefire starting on Monday. (Photo: Putin and Mr Zelenskyy).

Russia‘s president put forward the proposal for talks in Istanbul on Thursday after European leaders, including Sir Keir Starmer, threatened him with fresh sanctions if Russia failed to comply with an unconditional 30-day ceasefire starting on Monday. In a post on X, Mr Zelenskyy wrote: “We await a full and lasting ceasefire, starting from tomorrow, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy. There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will be waiting for Putin in Türkiye on Thursday.

Personally. I hope that this time the Russians will not look for excuses. It comes after Mr Trump shared a post on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, in which he said he was “starting to doubt that Ukraine will make a deal with Putin”. He urged them to accept the meeting invitation “immediately”, adding “have the meeting now”. Mr Trump wrote: “President Putin of Russia doesn’t want to have a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine, but rather wants to meet on Thursday, in Turkey, to negotiate a possible end to the bloodbath. (Photo: Starmer and EU leaders).

“Ukraine should agree to this immediately. At least they will be able to determine whether or not a deal is possible, and if it is not, European leaders and the US will know where everything stands and can proceed accordingly. “I’m starting to doubt that Ukraine will make a deal with Putin, who’s too busy celebrating the Victory of World War ll, which could not have been won (not even close!) without the United States of America.

“Have the meeting now!” When Mr Putin first suggested the talks, Mr Trump hailed it “a potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine” and said he would “work with both sides to make sure it happens”. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan also said he “fully supported” Mr Putin’s proposal and was ready to host the talks, after the two leaders spoke over the phone on Sunday. But security and defence analyst Michael Clarke told Sky News presenter Matt Barbet there is a “long way between now and Thursday” and a “fair bit of brinkmanship” going on. He said even if the talks do go ahead, “the chances are they’ll extend over a long period and there won’t be a ceasefire as a result of them, and the Russians will keep playing this out”.

Mr Putin’s counteroffer of talks came after Sir Keir, Mr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, recently elected German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk met in Kyiv. The leaders said they had secured Mr Trump’s backing after briefing him on the progress made on the so-called “coalition of the willing” plans in a 20-minute phone call.

Courtesy: Sky News