Moscow, May 11 (EFE).— Russia on Sunday insisted that peace talks with Ukraine must precede any new truce, rejecting European calls for an immediate 30-day ceasefire.
“First, there must be negotiations on the root causes (of the conflict), and then one can talk about truces,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, commenting on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s response to Vladimir Putin’s proposal for direct talks in Istanbul on May 15.
Zelenskyy had dismissed talks without a ceasefire. “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.”
‘Speak to Silence the Guns’
According to Moscow, Kyiv had misinterpreted Putin’s remarks. The Russian president stressed that negotiations must address the original causes of the war before any ceasefire can be discussed.
Putin also accused Ukraine of breaking previous truces, including a 72-hour ceasefire the Kremlin had unilaterally declared to mark the 80th anniversary of the Red Army’s World War II victory over Nazi .
“We are determined to hold serious negotiations with Ukraine. The goal is to eliminate the causes of the conflict and reach a lasting, stable peace,” Putin said.
While not ruling out the possibility of agreeing to a new ceasefire during talks, Putin emphasized that any such deal must emerge from negotiations, not precede them.
He reminded reporters that it was in Istanbul where Ukraine suspended talks with Russia in March 2022, shortly after the invasion began.
“Our proposal is on the table. The decision now lies with the Ukrainian authorities and their sponsors,” he said. The Kremlin added that the name of Russia’s chief negotiator would be released later.
West Demands a Truce First
Ukraine and its European allies remain firm in their stance that hostilities must stop before talks can begin.
On Saturday, leaders from , , Poland, the UK, and the US tly backed a call for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire during a summit in Kyiv.
“There can be no negotiations while the weapons are talking,” French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated Sunday. “A ceasefire is needed now for discussions to begin.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz echoed the sentiment: “First the weapons must be silenced, then the conversations can begin. Russia’s willingness to talk is a good sign, but not enough.”
Fighting Resumes as Truce Ends
Meanwhile, the Russian military confirmed that fighting resumed after the 72-hour ceasefire expired on Saturday night.
It accused Ukraine of breaching the truce over 14,000 times and attempting five incursions into Russian territory.
The Russian Defense Ministry said its Západ and Tsentr force groupings made gains on the front lines, reportedly inflicting over 600 casualties.
Ukraine did not officially the truce but had scaled back its drone operations. That restraint appeared to end Sunday, with Ukraine’s Air Force reporting that Russia launched more than 100 drones across multiple targets overnight. EFE
mos-sk
