Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed direct peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul this week.
President Putin made the suggestion on Sunday, and said he would talk directly with Turkish President Erdogan about facilitating the discussions.
“We are proposing that Kyiv resume direct negotiations without any preconditions,” Putin said from the Kremlin, on Sunday.
“We offer the Kyiv authorities to resume negotiations already on Thursday, in Istanbul.”
“Our proposal, as they say, is on the table,” Putin continued.
“The decision is now up to the Ukrainian authorities and their curators, who are guided, it seems, by their personal political ambitions, and not by the interests of their peoples.”
Ukraine has yet to respond to the proposal, but President Donald Trump hailed it on social media as 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 President wrote on Truth Social.
Putin’s proposal came in the wake of demands from European leaders that Russia agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire or face “massive” additional sanctions.
President Putin brushed off the demand and said European leaders were in no position to make “ultimatums.”
Putin continues to demand Ukraine relinquish its ambitions to join NATO, adopt a stance of neutrality towards Russia and also recognise Russian territorial acquisitions in the east and south of the country since 2014. Russia is not, however, opposed to Ukraine’s membership of the European Union.