Moscow [Russia], May 11 (ANI): Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday called for direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul, saying it should start without delay, as early as May 15th.

In a televised address shared by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Putin emphasised that the talks should take place 'without any preconditions' and that Turkey, under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, should once again serve as the host.

'We suggest the authorities in Kyiv to resume direct talks, which they themselves interrupted in 2022,' Putin declared. 'We propose to start the talks without delay, next week, on May 15, in Istanbul.'

Putin further elaborated on the choice of venue, noting, 'I'm referring to direct talks without any preconditions, and we propose to start immediately on next Thursday on the 15th of May in Istanbul. The venue that held them before. Well, it is well known that the Turkish colleagues organised, well, proposed their services to organise such talks, and President Erdogan did a lot to organise those talks in the past.'

Reflecting on previous discussions, Putin stated, 'As a result of those talks back then, a draft of a joint agreement was prepared and initialled by the head of the Kiev negotiating teams, but upon the behest of the West, it was thrown into the little bin.' He indicated that Western influence had disrupted the progress made during those negotiations.

Putin confirmed that he would be speaking with Turkish President Erdogan to discuss hosting the talks. 'Tomorrow a phone conversation is planned with the Turkish President Erdogan, and I would ask him to provide this opportunity to hold talks in Turkey. I really hope that he will confirm his desire to facilitate peace in Ukraine,' he added.

The Russian President stressed that the goal of these negotiations was to address the 'root causes of the conflict' and achieve a long-lasting peace. 'We are committed to holding serious talks with Ukraine in order to eliminate the root causes of the conflict to arrive at a long-lasting peace in the long run, in the long historical run,' Putin said.

Putin also addressed the possibility of achieving new ceasefires during these discussions. 'I can't rule out that during those talks we will be able to negotiate and come to terms over new ceasefires or truces, real ones that would be respected not only by Russia but the Ukrainian side,' he explained.

However, he warned against a situation where ceasefires are used as a temporary pause for rearming and preparing for further conflict. 'Not a prologue to continuing the armed conflict after re-equipping and re-arming and digging trenches and a new defensive checkpoint,' he emphasised.

Putin made it clear that the next step was up to Ukraine and its Western supporters. 'So our proposal is on the table. So now it's up to the Ukrainian authorities and their mentors and their supervisors to decide,' he concluded.

The proposal comes amid increasing international pressure for a ceasefire. Western leaders, including those from Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Poland, recently stood alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, urging Russia to agree to a 30-day ceasefire or face severe sanctions.

Western leaders, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, recently stood alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, urging Russia to agree to a 30-day ceasefire or face severe sanctions.

US President Donald Trump also weighed in, warning that 'if the ceasefire is not respected, the US and its partners will impose further sanctions.' Trump, who has made ending the conflict in Ukraine a priority of his administration, has dispatched his special envoy Steve Witkoff to Moscow for high-level discussions. (ANI)