Vladimir Putin has proposed restarting direct peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul next week, but stopped short of agreeing to a Western-backed ceasefire due to begin on Monday.
Speaking from the Kremlin in the early hours of Sunday, the Russian president said: “We propose the Kyiv authorities resume the negotiations they interrupted at the end of 2022... to resume direct negotiations... without any preconditions... to begin without delay next Thursday 15 May in Istanbul.”
