Talks or ceasefire first? Ukraine, Russia appear deadlocked over next steps in effort to end the war
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday welcomed Russia's offer for direct peace talks, but insisted there must be a full, temporary ceasefire in place before negotiations can start.
Zelenskyy's comments came a few hours after Russia's President Vladimir Putin effectively rejected a ceasefire offer made a day earlier by Ukraine and its European allies. Putin countered with a proposal to restart direct talks with Ukraine, during which a truce could be negotiated.
The exchange of proposals appeared to leave Kyiv and Moscow deadlocked over the next steps in a Washington-led effort to end the war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year.
During his election campaign, U.S. President Donald Trump had promised to end the fighting swiftly but his administration recently indicated it might walk away from the peace process if there was no tangible progress.
Trump said in a social media post Sunday that Ukraine should agree to Putin's peace talks proposal '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 U.S., will know where everything stands, and can proceed accordingly!' Trump wrote, adding: 'HAVE THE MEETING, NOW!!!'
Zelenskyy, writing on X on Sunday, said it was a 'positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war' and said that 'the entire world has been waiting for this for a very long time.'
He added, however, that 'the very first step in truly ending any war is a ceasefire,' in a reference to his proposal to start a 30-day unconditional truce on Monday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin in remarks to the media overnight effectively rejected that ceasefire offer and proposed restarting direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on Thursday instead 'without preconditions.' He said a ceasefire might be agreed on during the negotiations — but stressed that the Kremlin needs a truce that would lead to a 'lasting peace' instead of one that would allow Ukraine to rearm and mobilize more men into its armed forces.
Putin's counter-offer came after leaders from four major European countries threatened to ratchet up pressure on Moscow if it does not accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk met with Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Saturday and issued a coordinated call for the truce starting Monday. The plan has received backing from both the European Union and Trump.
The leaders pledged tougher sanctions on Russia if Putin did not accept the proposal.
Zelenskyy, in his Sunday remarks, reiterated that call. 'There is no point in continuing the killing even for a single day. We expect Russia to confirm a ceasefire — full, lasting, and reliable — starting tomorrow, May 12th, and Ukraine is ready to meet,' the Ukrainian leader said on X.
Macron said Sunday that Putin's offer of direct negotiations with Ukraine is 'a first step, but not enough,' signaling continued Western skepticism toward Moscow's intentions.
'An unconditional ceasefire is not preceded by negotiations,' Macron told reporters at the Polish-Ukrainian border, according to French media.
Macron also warned that Putin is 'looking for a way out, but he still wants to buy time.'
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in comments aired by Russian state TV on Sunday, called Putin's proposal 'very serious,' aimed at eliminating 'the root causes of the conflict,' and said it 'confirms a real intention to find a peaceful solution.'
Without directly mentioning Moscow's proposal, Trump said in a social media post several hours after Putin's overnight remarks that it was '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,' Trump wrote. 'I will continue to work with both sides to make sure that it happens. The USA wants to focus, instead, on Rebuilding and Trade. A BIG week upcoming!' he added.
In another post on Sunday, the U.S. president said Ukraine should accept Moscow's offer 'to meet on Thursday, in Turkey, to negotiate a possible end to the BLOODBATH.' He added, however, that he was 'starting to doubt that Ukraine will make a deal with Putin.'
Putin spoke Sunday to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who expressed readiness to host the talks, the Kremlin said.
According to the Kremlin's readout of the phone call, Erdogan 'fully supported the Russian proposal, emphasizing his readiness to provide' a platform for the talks in Istanbul, as well as 'all possible assistance in organizing and holding the negotiations aimed at achieving sustainable peace.'
Erdogan also spoke to Macron on Sunday, according to a statement from the Turkish presidential communications office, and said that a 'historic turning point' had been reached in efforts to end the war.
Meanwhile, Russia resumed mass drone attacks in Ukraine early on Sunday, after its self-declared three-day pause expired.
Russia launched 108 attack drones and simulator drones from six different directions, Ukraine's air force said. It said 60 drones were shot down and another 41 simulator drones failed to reach targets due to Ukrainian countermeasures.
The Russian Defense Ministry on Sunday accused Ukraine of 'violating' Moscow's three-day ceasefire more than 14,000 times. Ukraine, which did not agree to the May 8-10 ceasefire, has also accused Russia of violating its own truce, with the Ukrainian foreign minister calling it a farce.
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