KYIV, May 11 — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday welcomed signs from Moscow suggesting a willingness to end the war, calling it a long-awaited development and stressing the need for a “full, lasting, and reliable” ceasefire.
“It is a positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war. The entire world has been waiting for this for a very long time. And the very first step in truly ending any war is a ceasefire,” Zelenskyy wrote in a post on X.
Zelenskyy’s remarks came hours after leaders from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Poland arrived in Kyiv and jointly called for an unconditional ceasefire to begin on May 12. He underlined that any ceasefire must apply comprehensively — across land, sea, and air — and should last a minimum of 30 days.
“There is no point in continuing the killing even for a single day,” Zelenskyy said, adding, “We expect Russia to confirm a ceasefire — full, lasting, and reliable — starting tomorrow, May 12th, and Ukraine is ready to meet.”
Joining Zelenskyy in Kyiv, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk reiterated their support for Ukrainian sovereignty and peace. They collectively pressed for the immediate cessation of hostilities and reaffirmed Ukraine’s path as a free and European nation.
In a parallel development, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Moscow is ready for direct negotiations with Ukraine. In a late-night televised address, Putin proposed May 15 as the date for talks in Istanbul, where earlier rounds had previously been held before collapsing.
“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, according to CNN.
Putin said the proposed dialogue would proceed “without any preconditions”, calling it the “first step to a long-lasting stable peace”, and asserted that the aim is to “eliminate the root causes of the conflict.”
He added that the talks should not serve as a pause for the “re-arming” or “entrenchment” of Ukrainian forces but instead seek genuine resolution.
The Russia-Ukraine war, now entering its third year since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, has resulted in massive civilian casualties, widespread displacement, and economic devastation across both nations.
As global leaders push for a ceasefire and dialogue, expectations now rest on whether Russia will honor the May 12 deadline and commit to meaningful negotiations next week.
