Putin says that Russia is ready for negotiations, but "without preconditions". He further proposes that direct talks between Russia and Ukraine begin on May 15 in Istanbul.
The proposal for negotiations is on the table, the decision lies with Kyiv and the curators of the Kyiv regime, said Putin at an unusually late-held press conference on Sunday night, according to the Russian state news agency RIA.
Rejects ceasefire
Ukraine and about 30 countries have demanded that Russia agrees to a minimum 30-day unconditional ceasefire starting on Monday.
If Moscow does not agree to a ceasefire, tougher sanctions against Russia and more support to Ukraine are expected, announced the leaders of France, Poland, and the UK during a visit to Kyiv on Saturday.
The US President is also said to back the European proposal. The leaders had a "fruitful" conversation with Donald Trump to update him on the meeting, announced Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrij Sybiha, reports AFP.
For the first time in a long time, we had a feeling that the entire free world stands united, said Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
According to France's Emmanuel Macron, a ceasefire would be monitored primarily by the US, but with European support.
The ceasefire is also intended to lay the groundwork for direct negotiations between Ukraine and Russia on a "robust and lasting peace", stated France's President Emmanuel Macron at a joint press conference.
Air alarm in Ukraine
Putin said during his appearance that negotiations in Turkey later in the week could lead to a ceasefire, but reiterated his stance that what he calls the "root causes" of the Russian aggression must be resolved.
Shortly after Putin's press conference, the Ukrainian air force again warned of Russian air attacks, with attack drones over several Ukrainian regions.
The so-called "ceasefire" during the Victory Day celebrations is now formally over, noted simultaneously the Kremlin's spokesperson Dmitrij Peskov. Russian combat operations on the front lines and air strikes against Ukrainian communities have continued despite the unilaterally declared ceasefire, which according to Russia was supposed to have lasted for three days.
The Kremlin has not yet announced who they intend to lead the proposed talks in Istanbul, and at what level they intend to hold them.
Putin further stated that he will speak with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday.
