Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed holding direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul next Thursday without preconditions. In a statement to reporters at the Kremlin, Putin emphasized that Moscow has never rejected dialogue with Ukraine and expressed Russia’s willingness to engage in serious talks “to eliminate the root causes of the conflict, and we are proposing to the Kyiv authorities to resume the talks next Thursday in Istanbul.”

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Russian president stated that negotiations were not suspended by Russia in 2022, but by Kyiv. He reiterated Russia’s proposal for Kyiv to resume direct negotiations without any preconditions. Putin also mentioned the potential for a new ceasefire to emerge from these negotiations, although he did not directly address the recent call by leaders of Ukraine, Britain, France, Germany, and Poland for a ceasefire in Ukraine starting tomorrow, Monday.

The three-day truce unilaterally declared by Russia to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany concluded on Saturday. It is significant to note that Russia launched a military attack on Ukraine on February 22, 2022, with the condition that the attack would cease if Kyiv abandoned its membership in Western military entities, a demand Kyiv regards as “interference” in its affairs.