VLADIMIR Putin has proposed holding direct peace talks with Ukraine after getting an ultimatum to agree to a 30-day ceasefire from the West.
Speaking to reporters at the Kremlin in the early hours of Sunday, Putin said he is ready to restart negotiations that Russia and Ukraine held in 2022.
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It comes after Ukraine and four European leaders pressed Russia to accept a 30-day unconditional ceasefire starting Monday or face “painful sanctions”.
The ultimatum was given after talks in Kyiv attended by President Volodymyr Zelensky and the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Poland.
The US and other countries back the proposal, they said.
The Kremlin’s spokesman told CNN that Moscow will “think through” the proposal, but stressed “there are lots of questions” remaining and that Russia is “resistant to any kind of pressure”.
Now, Putin says he wants to hold direct talks with Ukraine in Turkey on May 15.
The dictator said: “It was not Russia that broke off negotiations in 2022. It was Kyiv.
“Nevertheless, we are proposing that Kyiv resume direct negotiations without any preconditions.
“Despite everything, we offer the Kyiv authorities to resume negotiations already on Thursday, in Istanbul.
“Let me remind you that as a result of these negotiations, a joint draft document was prepared, and it was initialled by the head of the Kyiv negotiating group, but at the insistence of the West, it was thrown into the trash.”
A smirking Putin, who has repeatedly bombarded civilians in Ukraine and was accused of breaking the VE three-day ceasefire, said Kyiv failed to respond to his peace proposals.
He said: “Kyiv authorities have not responded to any of our ceasefire proposals.”
But the tyrant has now agreed to hold direct talks with Kyiv.
It comes after Sir Keir Starmer joined leaders from France, Germany and Poland to issue a tough ultimatum to Russia as they visited war-torn Kyiv to mark the end of VE Day week.
The coalition of the willing group pushed Russia to agree to a 30-day ceasefire deal in just 24 hours.
If everyone wants peace why is the war in Ukraine still raging? The answer is very simple
COMMENT by Jerome Starkey
EVERYONE says they want peace, so why is the war still raging in Ukraine?
The short answer is simple: Peace means very different things to very different people.
They have different goals and different motives. Vladimir Putin wants total conquest.
And he wants to be remembered as a modern Tsar who restored Russia’s imperial greatness.
Ukraine wants to survive, as a sovereign independent nation.
Europe wants a chastened Russia and peace that lasts beyond six months.
Trump just wants a deal — any deal at any price — with minerals thrown in for good measure.
He wants to claim the glory and perhaps a Nobel Peace Prize for sorting out the carnage which he sees as Barack Obama and Joe Biden’s mess.
The American position is clear from the terrible deal they want Kyiv to accept.
Their so-called seven-point peace plan would freeze the war on the current front lines and force Ukraine to surrender almost all of its occupied territories — some 44,000 square miles — with almost nothing in return.
If Moscow refuses, it will be hit with more crippling sanctions which targets their lucrative oil trade in a bid to grind down its wartime economy. Russia’s banking sector will also be targeted.
Crucially, Donald Trump backed the plan – piling massive pressure on Putin to sign up to the peace deal or face America’s wrath.
Last week, Washington announced it would no longer act as the mediator to negotiate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine after Putin refused to accept a full ceasefire.
The State Department said the country is changing “the methodology of how we contribute” to the talks and will no longer “fly around the world at the drop of a hat” for meetings.
‘BATTLE FOR PEACE’
The Sun on Sunday joined Sir Keir in Kyiv as he stood shoulder to shoulder with Volodymyr Zelensky to challenge Mad Vlad to lay down his weapons and come to the negotiating table.
Speaking at a press conference in the grounds of the Ukrainian Presidential Palace, Sir Keir said it is time to “win the battle for peace”.
The PM said: “All of us together with the US are calling Putin out.
Military aid to Ukraine will again be ramped up so it will be armed to the teeth to take on the Red Army if Putin refuses to comply.
Sir Keir said there is “unity and strength” as around 30 countries across Europe and including Canada, America and Japan are signed up to the plan.
But Russian figures immediately hit back at the peace plan.
Dmitry Medvedev – the former leader of Russia – fumed online: “Shove these plans into your pangender a****!”.
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The three-day VE Day ceasefire that Putin announced has now ended, while the leaders are still in Kyiv.
And Ukraine has accused Russia of already breaching the truce numerous times with bomb raids and gunfire.
US intelligence warned that Putin could plot a massive airstrike on Kyiv, where world leaders today gathered.
American officials felt pressed to issue a public warning, which read: “The US Embassy in Kyiv has received information concerning a potentially significant air attack that may occur at any time over the next several days.
“The Embassy, as always, recommends US citizens be prepared to immediately shelter in the event an air alert is announced.”
A similar warning was issued on November 20 last year – one day before Russia struck Dnipro with an Oreshnik ballistic missile.
Intelligence has revealed that Russia plans to close the airspace over its Kapustin Yar missile test site between 6am on Monday and 6:am on Tuesday.
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