Latest news with #CeaseFireAgreement
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump's plan for Ukraine unravels further: Putin says he'll skip the talks he called for
If all went according to plan, high-level peace talks would now be underway in Turkey with the hopes of negotiating an end to the devastating war in Ukraine. It's now clear, however, that all is not going according to plan. At the heart of the problem is the fact that Russia's Vladimir Putin has apparently decided not to participate in the talks that he requested. Politico reported: Russian President Vladimir Putin will not travel to Turkey to attend peace talks with Ukraine that he himself suggested, the Kremlin announced Wednesday evening. The news is of little surprise, as Putin had never confirmed he would attend in person. Many observers, including EU High Representative Kaja Kallas, predicted he wouldn't elect to meet directly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. NBC News confirmed the reporting and noted that Donald Trump seemed eager to brush off the significance of the developments. Referring to Putin, the American president told reporters: 'Why would he go if I'm not going? Because I wasn't going to go.' It's not nearly that simple. Consider the recent events that led to this point. In January, two days after Trump's second inaugural, the Republican published a message to his social media platform, telling Russia that if it failed to end the conflict quickly, the White House 'would have no other choice' but to impose new economic sanctions. Putin proceeded to ignore the threat, and Trump failed to follow through. In early March, it happened again: Trump gave Putin a choice — sanctions or a ceasefire — and the Russian leader again ignored his American counterpart. In late March, Trump once again said he was prepared to impose economic penalties on Russia. In keeping with the pattern, Putin ignored the threat and Trump failed to follow through. Earlier this month — for the fourth time in four months — the American president wrote online, 'If the ceasefire is not respected, the U.S. and its partners will impose further sanctions.' For the fourth time, Russia expressed indifference. Last week, however, Trump administration officials, including the U.S. envoy to Ukraine, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, met with U.S. allies and settled on a specific strategy: If Moscow didn't agree to a ceasefire, he'd face a new round of international economic penalties, including from the United States. Putin said he'd consider a ceasefire, but only after talks. Kellogg and U.S. allies stuck to their offer: Ceasefire first, then peace negotiations. To reject this approach, they said, would be to invite sanctions. It was at that point when Trump stepped all over his own team and U.S. allies, writing on Sunday to his social media platform: 'President Putin of Russia doesn't want to have a Cease Fire Agreement with Ukraine, but rather wants to meet on Thursday, in Turkey, to negotiate a possible end to the BLOODBATH. Ukraine should agree to this, IMMEDIATELY.' At the White House's urging, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that he would participate in direct negotiations in Turkey this week. A few days later, the Kremlin said Putin isn't going to the talks Putin wanted. Or put another way, Trump kneecapped his own envoy to support Putin's approach, which Putin then abandoned. The American president's entire strategy was originally premised on the absurd idea that he'd resolve the crisis on the first day of his second term. His vision has only gone downhill from there. This article was originally published on
News18
14-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
Zelensky Asks Trump To Attend Peace Talks In Turkey, Will Putin Agree To A Face-To-Face Meet? Decode
When Russian President Putin made a counteroffer of direct talks, without mentioning a ceasefire, Zelensky responded cautiously to the Russian counteroffer of direct talks, insisting again on a halt in the fighting. Then President Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social that 'President Putin of Russia doesn't want to have a Cease Fire Agreement with Ukraine.' The Russian leader, according to Trump, wanted direct talks to be hosted by Turkey last this week in Istanbul. After Trump's post, Zelensky added a new twist to the diplomatic brinkmanship, saying he would personally attend the negotiations. Putin, had not proposed a presidential meeting. Just direct talks at a junior level. n18oc_world n18oc_crux
Miami Herald
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Putin Answers Zelensky's Ceasefire Proposal With Drone Attack
Ukraine's air force reported an overnight Russian attack involving more than 100 drones, as Russia's President Vladimir Putin rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's proposal of an immediate 30-day ceasefire. "The air attack was repelled by aviation, anti-aircraft missile forces, electronic warfare units and mobile fire groups of the Defense Forces of Ukraine," the Ukrainian air force said in a post on Telegram on Monday morning. Putin had proposed the resumption of direct Russia-Ukraine talks in Turkey starting from Thursday. Zelensky then said that he and Putin should meet in Istanbul, and said he will be there. The Kremlin has not yet replied on a face-to-face meeting. The two sides continue to exchange fire. Ukraine says it wants an unconditional ceasefire before talks. But Russia says a ceasefire is a condition in itself, and that Ukraine could use the pause to regroup and rearm. U.S. President Donald Trump, who is brokering the Russia-Ukraine peace process, has expressed both frustration and optimism in recent weeks, believing a deal to be near, but just out of reach because the two sides are holding things up. "President Putin of Russia doesn't want to have a Cease Fire Agreement with Ukraine, but rather wants to meet on Thursday, in Turkey, to negotiate a possible end to the BLOODBATH," Trump posted to his Truth Social platform on Sunday. "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 U.S., 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!!!" Putin had proposed restarting direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15, without preconditions, in remarks to reporters in the early hours of Sunday. He was responding to Ukraine and its allies urging Moscow to commit to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire or face additional sanctions. The Russian leader referenced the unsuccessful 2022 peace talks that took place in Istanbul in March, shortly after Moscow's full-scale invasion. "We are committed to serious negotiations with Ukraine," Putin said, adding that he doesn't rule out agreeing to a ceasefire later, in the course of direct talks with Ukraine. This is a developing article and more information will be added soon. This article includes reporting by The Associated Press. Related Articles Ukraine Ceasefire Talks: Trump Reacts as Putin Proposes PlanUS and Europe Issue Ceasefire Ultimatum to PutinKim Jong Un Says US Weapons 'Tacky, Defective'US Warns of Major Russian Assault Amid Putin's Victory Day Truce 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Zelenskyy challenges Putin to meet in person for peace talks
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has challenged Vladimir Putin to meet in person for peace talks in Istanbul on Thursday, in a dramatic gambit after a weekend of diplomatic flurry. His comments came after Putin rejected a demand from Ukraine and European allies to sign up to a 30-day ceasefire, but said Russia was ready for direct negotiations with Ukraine. Putin said delegations from the two countries should meet on Thursday in Turkey. Although European leaders insisted there should be no negotiations until Putin agrees to a ceasefire, Donald Trump put pressure on Zelenskyy to agree 'immediately' to negotiations this week in a post on Truth Social. Shortly afterwards Zelenskyy went public with his surprise offer. 'We await a full and lasting ceasefire, starting from tomorrow, to provide the necessary basis for diplomacy,' the Ukrainian president said in a statement. '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.' The two leaders have not communicated directly since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and there have been no publicly known talks between Moscow and Kyiv since March 2022, shortly after the war began. Trump said in a statement on his Truth Social platform that Ukraine should 'HAVE THE MEETING, NOW!!!'. He said: 'President Putin of Russia doesn't want to have a Cease Fire Agreement with Ukraine, but rather wants to meet on Thursday, in Turkey, to negotiate a possible end to the BLOODBATH. 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 U.S., will know where everything stands, and can proceed accordingly!' The demand for a 30-day ceasefire was set out on Saturday during a visit to Kyiv by the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Poland, who together with Zelenskyy made a phone call to Trump before holding a joint press conference. Britain's Keir Starmer said that if Putin rejected the offer, 'we will respond, working with President Trump, with all our partners, we will ramp up sanctions and increase our military aid for Ukraine's defence to pressure Russia back to the table'. Putin's response to the ultimatum came in the unusual form of a statement read out to journalists in a ceremonial Kremlin room at close to 2am local time. He accused Ukraine of breaking previous ceasefires, but said that 'despite this' he was suggesting the two parties meet for talks, which he said could take place in Istanbul this Thursday. He did not say who would attend, though observers widely expected him to send his top diplomatic aides. 'We are ready for serious talks with Ukraine, and we want to solve the root causes of the conflict,' he said. Putin's tone appeared carefully calibrated to reject Europe's demands but also make Moscow appear to be playing constructively in the eyes of the Trump administration, which has tended to be much softer on Moscow than on Kyiv until recent days. Putin made a point of thanking the new US administration for its efforts to resolve the conflict. Trump's response suggests the tactic may have succeeded, delivering a significant blow to western unity. However, his Truth Social post also hinted at the frustration he has reportedly expressed in private in recent days over Moscow's hardline demands in the war in Ukraine. By proposing a direct meeting with Putin in Istanbul, Zelenskyy appears to be seizing the initiative, putting pressure back on the Russian leader – who rarely travels spontaneously – to either attend or back down. Prior to Trump's intervention, Zelenskyy and his chief of staff Andriy Yermak had both ruled out talks before a ceasefire. 'First a 30-day ceasefire, then everything else,' said Yermak. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, had also written on X on Sunday morning that no talks would be possible until Putin agreed to the ceasefire. 'There can be no negotiations while weapons are speaking. There can be no dialogue if, at the same time, civilians are being bombed,' he wrote. The flurry of back-and-forth offers and ultimatums suggests fast-moving diplomacy around the conflict, but behind the rhetoric it is not clear how much of the fundamental positions of the two sides have changed. Ukraine and its European allies want a full ceasefire, after which negotiations would start on a comprehensive settlement including a European 'reassurance force' inside Ukraine, the exact composition and duties of which are still under discussion among allies. Putin, on the other hand, wants to keep fighting to increase the pressure on Ukraine to sign up to a number of Moscow's core demands, which have changed little since the start of the war. As well as territorial claims to the regions it occupies, Moscow is expected to demand guarantees over Ukraine's future political and military decisions. The Kremlin has already made it clear it would not accept western troops stationed in Ukraine. A top Putin aide, Yuri Ushakov, said on Sunday that the previous first round of Istanbul talks, in spring 2022, should serve as the basis for any new negotiations. Leaked drafts of those discussions suggest that the Russian terms presented amounted to an effective surrender for Ukraine. Trump's support for Putin's idea came after his Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, backed the European position, in a sign that the US president is often unpredictable even for his own team. 'As President Trump has repeatedly said, stop the killing!! An unconditional 30 day ceasefire first and, during it, move into comprehensive peace discussions. Not the other way around,' Kellogg wrote on X. In the hours after Putin's address on Sunday morning, Russia launched more than 100 drones at Ukraine, as a three-day ceasefire unilaterally declared by Putin came to an end. The ceasefire was pegged to the 80th anniversary of victory in the second world war, for which Putin presided over a military parade in Moscow on Friday with guests who included the leaders of China and Brazil. Kyiv rejected that ceasefire, saying it was a cynical attempt to avoid attacks on Russia during the set-piece parade, while Moscow continues to reject calls for a longer-term ceasefire.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
UK hosts European ministers for Ukraine talks amid ceasefire call
The UK on Monday hosted European ministers for "critical" talks on "repelling Russian aggression", after Ukraine's allies demanded that Moscow accept a ceasefire. Ministers from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the EU joined Foreign Secretary David Lammy in London for a meeting of the so-called "Weimar+" group. The coalition was set up in February in response to shifting US policy towards the war between Ukraine and Russia, and European security in general, under President Donald Trump. The meeting follows Saturday's visit by the leaders of France, Germany, Poland and the UK to Kyiv, where they called for Russia to agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire to allow for peace talks -- a proposal they said was backed by Washington. The EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas renewed the calls for a ceasefire on Monday. "If there is no ceasefire there cannot be talks under fire," she said in London, accusing Russia of "playing games". "It takes two to want peace. It takes only one to want war. And we see that Russia clearly wants war," she added. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday proposed direct negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15, but did not respond to the European call for a 30-day ceasefire. Lammy said it was time for "Putin to get serious about peace in Europe, to get serious about a ceasefire, and to get serious about talks". The Ukrainian air force said Russia had fired more than 100 drones overnight, despite the calls for a ceasefire to start on Monday. "From 11:00 pm on May 11, the enemy attacked with 108 Shaheds and other types of drones," the air force said, adding that "as of 08:30 am, 55 drones were confirmed downed". - 'Existential' challenge - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered to meet Putin personally in Turkey, but did not say whether he would still attend if Russia refused the European ceasefire proposal. Trump said direct talks were needed to determine whether peace was possible. "President Putin of Russia doesn't want to have a Cease Fire Agreement with Ukraine, but rather wants to meet on Thursday, in Turkey, to negotiate a possible end to the BLOODBATH," he wrote on his Truth Social platform. "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 U.S., will know where everything stands, and can proceed accordingly." The London meeting, where Lammy is expected to announce further sanctions targeting those backing Russia's invasion, will be the sixth gathering of the Weimar+ group and the first hosted by the UK. The talks would cover "repelling Russian aggression and bolstering European security", said the UK Foreign Office. They will focus on "both our joint efforts to strengthen European security and securing a just and lasting peace for Ukraine", it added. Lammy was joined by his German, Spanish and Polish counterparts, while France was represented by its minister for Europe Benjamin Haddad. European leaders are "facing a once-in-a-generation moment for the collective security of our continent", Lammy said ahead of the talks. "The challenge we face today is not only about the future of Ukraine -– it is existential for Europe as a whole." - Ceasefire plan - European leaders have reacted with scepticism to Putin's proposal for direct talks in Istanbul, with French President Emmanuel Macron warning that he was merely trying "to buy time". "An unconditional ceasefire is not preceded by negotiations, by definition," he told reporters as he returned to Poland from the meeting in Ukraine. He reiterated his position later Sunday, insisting on the "necessity for a ceasefire" before talks between Putin and Zelensky. In a phone call with Lammy on Sunday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington's "top priority remains bringing an end to the fighting and an immediate ceasefire", State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said. jwp-lcm-bur/jkb/js
