President Trump asks Ukraine to immediately negotiate with Russia
In response to the Russian President's request, President Trump asked Ukraine to immediately enter direct negotiations.
According to RIA Novosti, US President Donald Trump suggested that Ukraine should immediately accept Russian President Vladimir Putin's proposal to hold talks in Türkiye.
"Ukraine must agree to this immediately," White House chief Donald Trump wrote on the social network Truth Social on May 11.
According to Mr. Trump, the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine will at least determine whether a deal can be reached. At the same time, Mr. Trump also began to doubt whether Ukraine would accept the deal.
“Otherwise, European and American leaders will know where each other stand and will act accordingly,” President Trump said.
Earlier, speaking to representatives of Russian and foreign media on May 10, President Putin proposed that Ukraine resume direct negotiations without preconditions in Istanbul (Türkiye) on May 15. President Putin emphasized that he did not rule out the possibility of achieving a real ceasefire that the Ukrainian authorities would comply with.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the Russian leader's proposal serious, noting that it demonstrates a desire to find a peaceful solution. According to Peskov, the goal of negotiations with Ukraine is to eliminate the root causes of the conflict and ensure Russia's interests.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to Mr. Putin's offer with an ultimatum: Moscow must agree to a complete ceasefire from May 12 and only then will Kyiv sit down at the negotiating table.
