Putin Says Russia Wants Ceasefire Kiev Would Respect

Click to see full-size image. (Kremlin, via RT)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered Ukraine a chance to return to direct negotiations “without any preconditions,” stressing that Moscow would only accept a ceasefire that Kiev would actually respect.

In an address early on May 11, Putin recalled how Ukraine violated several ceasefire agreements, including a 30-day moratorium on strikes against energy infrastructure that was recently brokered by the United States.

“The Easter truce initiated by Russia was not observed either. Ukrainian formations violated the ceasefire almost 5,000 times,” he added, noting that “for the celebration of Victory Day – which we consider sacred – we declared a unilateral truce for the third time.”

Kiev didn’t only ignore the Russian initiative, but it also launched over 500 drones in large-scale attacks and carried out five attempts to breach the Russian border in the Kursk and Belgorod regions during the ceasefire, according to the Russian President.

Still, Putin offered Kiev the chance to resume the direct talks they themselves interrupted at the end of 2022 “without any preconditions.”

“We propose to start without delay next Thursday, May 15, in Istanbul – where they were previously held and interrupted,” he said, adding that Russia was “committed to serious negotiations with Ukraine… to eliminate the root causes of the conflict and achieve long-term, sustainable peace.”

Putin went on to stress that Russia was looking for a ceasefire that Kiev would actually respect, for a “meaningful truce.”

“We do not rule out that in the course of these negotiations it will be possible to agree on some new ceasefires – real truces – that would be observed not only by Russia, but by Ukraine as well,” he said.

Such an agreement, he argued, could be “the first step toward a long-term, sustainable peace, not a prologue to the continuation of armed conflict after rearming and reorganizing the Ukrainian Armed Forces.”

“Our proposal is on the table,” Putin said. “The decision now lies with the Ukrainian authorities and their curators.”

Putin’s address came after major European powers demanded on May 10 an unconditional 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, with the backing of United States President Donald Trump, and threatened Russia with “massive” new sanctions if he did not accept within days.

The leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Poland and Ukraine set the start of the ceasefire for May 12 at a meeting in Kyiv, during which they held a phone call with Trump.

“So all of us here together with the U.S. are calling Putin out. If he is serious about peace, then he has a chance to show it,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told a press conference. “No more ifs and buts, no more conditions and delays.”

While the European leaders wanted to paint a picture of complete U.S. support for their demand, Trump expressed support for Putin’s proposal to resume direct talks with Ukraine.

Trump took to Truth Social on May 11 to praise what he called “a potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine! Think of the hundreds of thousands of lives that will be saved as this never ending ‘bloodbath’ hopefully comes to an end.” The U.S. President added that Washington “wants to focus, instead, on Rebuilding and Trade. A BIG week upcoming!”

French President Emmanuel Macron from his side maintained his radical stance, calling the Russian proposal “insufficient” and “unacceptable” for Kiev.

“This is a first step, but it is not enough. Negotiations, by definition, cannot take place before an unconditional ceasefire,” Le Figaro quoted the French President as saying on May 11.

From its side, AFP quoted Macron as saying that “it is unacceptable for the Ukrainians because they cannot hold talks while they are being shelled.”

All in all, history appears to be repeating itself with European leaders attempting to sabotage peace efforts between Russia and Ukraine, similar to what they did in 2022 when they convinced Kiev to abandon the commitments it made during intal talks with Moscow in Turkey and adopt unrealistic military goals.

Kiev forces are now in a much worse situation than back at the start of the Russian special military operation. Ukraine is facing shortages in everything, from manpower, to ammunition and equipment. Despite all of this, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is still apparently more interested in what Starmer, Macron and other European leaders want.

The main goal of the European-led ceasefire demand appears to be to give exhausted Ukraine a chance to rearm and reorganize its forces so that it could fight on for a year or more. Putin clearly understands this very well.

Of course, the European move is a response to the recent rapprochement between Russia and the U.S. European leaders are apparently worried about being sidelined and for them keeping the conflict in Ukraine going is the solution.

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