Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to direct talks with Ukraine as pressure increases for a 3-day ceasefire for the three-year-long war.
Putin's statement comes hours after the US, the UK, and European leaders called on Russia to agree and implement an immediate 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine.
In response to this, Putin suggested that Russia and Ukraine should engage in "direct talks" first, signalling Moscow's readiness for the same.
"We are committed to serious negotiations with Ukraine … to remove the root causes of the conflict,” said Putin at a news conference. “I do not exclude that during these negotiations it will be possible to agree on some new ceasefire," he added.
Ahead of this, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron visited Ukraine, where they urged Russia to implement a 30-day ceasefire.
The direct talks are scheduled to take place soon, and President Putin wants them to take place in Turkey's Istanbul. The Russian leader will be reaching out to his Turkish counterpart for the same.
"We would like to start immediately, already next Thursday, May 15, in Istanbul, where they were held before and where they were interrupted,” Putin said in a late-night televised address, adding that the talks should be held “without any preconditions.”
Russia is currently observing its unilateral three-day ceasefire. The ceasefire was called by Putin to mark 'Victory Day' for the Second World War from May 8 to 11, 2025. Sunday stands as the last day of this ceasefire, hence renewing calls for the US' 30-day proposal.
