Shortly after announcing peace negotiations that were praised by US President Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin ordered a new wave of attack drones to target Ukraine.
The Russian leader strategically deployed Shahed kamikaze drones towards Ukraine’s capital and other areas, possibly as a ploy against Volodymyr Zelensky.
The West and Ukraine had demanded a 30-day truce – or Putin would be hit with tough new sanctions, and arm supplies would ramp up to Kyiv.
Despite calls from various world leaders, including Trump, for a ceasefire lasting a month to facilitate peace talks, Putin disregarded these requests.
Instead, the Russian ruler in his bizarre 1am press conference said he was seeking ‘serious negotiations’ aimed at ‘moving towards a lasting, strong peace’, and challenged Ukraine to do the same, for talks ‘without any preconditions’ yet with his missiles and drones still flying, potentially wounding and killing civilians.
But Trump said Putin’s announcement could be a ‘potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine’, adding: ‘Think of the hundreds and thousands of lives that will be saved as this never ending ‘bloodbath’ hopefully comes to an end’.
Zelensky today added that Ukraine is ‘ready to meet’, saying of the Russian dictator’s overnight statement: ‘This is a good sign that the Russians are finally thinking about ending the war.
‘Everyone in the world has been waiting for this for a very long time. And the very first step in the real end of any war is a ceasefire.
‘There is no point in continuing the killings even for a day. We expect Russia to confirm a ceasefire – complete, lasting and reliable – starting tomorrow, May 12, and Ukraine is ready to meet.’
But before hearing Kyiv’s answer, Putin showed no desire for peace and ended his own unilateral three day ceasefire – sending drones to strike at cities.Â
Zhytomyr and Donetsk regions were hit with deafening explosions.
In Kyiv, one woman resident Olena, said: ‘There are explosions of Shahids in Kyiv, you can hear the landings. ‘From us the airport is less than a miles….you can hear how they are trying to shoot down the drones.’
In Kyiv region, a pensioner, 70, was injured by the drone strike amid reports Russia attacked an air base. Mykolaiv was also hit by the Russian attack.
French president Emmanuel Macron said Putin’s move was ‘a first but insufficient step’.
‘An unconditional ceasefire must not be preceded by negotiations,’ he said.
Putin ‘is looking for a way out, but he still wants to buy time’.
Trump’s initial reaction was ambiguous but he did not condemn Putin’s refusal to agree a month-long truce as earlier demanded by the West.  Â
The Russian President last night called for direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15, saying the two countries should aim to achieve ‘peace‘.
In a rare late-night television address, Putin said Russia was proposing direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul in an attempt to ‘eliminate the root causes of the conflict’ and ‘to achieve the restoration of a long-term, lasting peace’.
‘It was not Russia that broke off negotiations in 2022. It was Kyiv. Nevertheless, we are proposing that Kyiv resume direct negotiations without any preconditions,’ Putin said, referring to failed talks shortly after the Russian invasion of 2022.
‘We offer the Kyiv authorities to resume negotiations already on Thursday, in Istanbul,’ Putin said.
‘Our proposal, as they say, is on the table, the decision is now up to the Ukrainian authorities and their curators, who are guided, it seems, by their personal political ambitions, and not by the interests of their peoples.’
Putin accused Ukraine of flouting ceasefires that were unilaterally declared by Moscow without consulting Kyiv.
The dictator – who unleashed the war in 2022 – said: ‘We are committed to serious negotiations with Ukraine.
‘Their purpose is to eliminate the root causes of the conflict, to establish a long-term, lasting peace for the historical perspective.
‘We do not rule out that during these negotiations it will be possible to agree on some new truces, a new ceasefire.
‘Moreover, a real truce, which would be observed not only by Russia, but also by the Ukrainian side, would be the first step, I repeat, to a long-term, sustainable peace, and not a prologue to the continuation of the armed conflict after the rearmament, the replenishment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the feverish digging of trenches and new strongholds.
‘Who needs such a peace? Our proposal is, as they say, on the table.
‘The decision is now up to the Ukrainian authorities and their [Western] curators, who, apparently guided by their personal political ambitions, and not by the interests of their people, want to continue the war with Russia through the hands of Ukrainian nationalists.
‘I repeat: Russia is ready for negotiations without any preconditions. There are military actions, a war, and we propose to resume negotiations that were interrupted not by us. What’s wrong with that?’
In response, US President Donald Trump took to Truth Social, saying the dictator’s announcement could be a ‘potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine’, adding: ‘Think of the hundreds and thousands of lives that will be saved as this never ending ‘bloodbath’ hopefully comes to an end’.
‘It will be a whole new, and much better, WORLD. I will continue to work with both sides to make sure that it happens.’
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday told Russian and French leaders that a ‘historic turning point’ has been reached in efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war and that Ankara was ready to host talks between the two warring parties, his office said.Â
NATO member Turkey has sought to maintain good relations with both of its Black Sea neighbours since the Russian invasion began and has twice hosted talks aimed at ending the war.
Erdogan welcomed the Russian leader’s statement that peace talks should resume in Istanbul where they left off, in a phone call with Putin on Sunday, his office announced.
He told Putin that ‘Turkey is ready to host negotiations aimed at achieving a lasting solution,’ according to his office.
Erdogan also said that ‘a window of opportunity has opened for reaching peace, and that achieving a comprehensive ceasefire would create the necessary environment for peace talks.’
But Putin ally Dmitry Rogozin vowed to continue the war immediately after the midnight end of the Kremlin’s unilateral three-day ceasefire.
‘The curtseys are over,’ he said. ‘The usual combat work has begun.’
His aim was ‘defeat of enemy infantry hiding in the night forest belt.’
He showed a video glorifying Russian attacks on Ukraine.
A civilian was wounded in Belgorod, Russia in a Ukrainian strike, said governor Vyachelsav Gladkov.Â
The announcement from the Russian leader came a week after the country hosted its Victory Parade, celebrating 80 years since the end of the Second World War.
Guest of honour for the ceremony was China’s President Xi Jinping, who joined Putin for a huge parade through Moscow’s Red Square.
As well as taking part in Victory Day celebrations, the Kremlin said last week that Xi would meet with Putin to discuss ‘further development of relations of comprehensive partnership ad strategic interaction’ and sign a number of bilateral documents.
Upon his arrival Thursday, the Chinese president told Putin that their countries should be ‘friends of steel’ as they pledged to raise cooperation to a new level and ‘decisively’ counter the influence of the United States.
The visit was expected to provide Putin with a boost ahead of increased pressure from the United States to end the war with Ukraine.
However, Putin’s own address to his nation has turned the tables, with peace talks now being suggested by the Russian leader.
Relations between the US and Ukraine have recovered in the past week, after a public clash between Volodymyr Zelensky and Trump saw the vital military aid briefly cut off in March.
The Ukrainian leader was kicked out of the White House during a meeting, after a shouting match erupted inside the Oval Office.
Trump threatened to abandon Ukraine completely if Zelensky did not agree to his peace terms. He also accused Zelensky of not being grateful.
After their meeting, Trump accused Zelensky of not being ‘ready for peace’.
European leaders including Prime Minister Keir Starmer came to Zelensky’s defence and the relationship between the two countries appears to have been patched up in the months since.
On Thursday Zelensky said he told Trump in a telephone call that a 30-day ceasefire would be a ‘real indicator’ of progress towards peace with Russia, and that Kyiv was ready to implement it immediately.
And Trump wrote on Truth Social overnight: ‘The US calls for, ideally, a 30-day unconditional ceasefire. If the ceasefire is not respected, the US and its partners will impose further sanctions.’
European leaders arrived in Kyiv on Saturday for talks with President Zelensky in a show of unity of the ‘coalition of the willing’.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz were all in attendance. It is the first time the leaders of the four countries have travelled together to Ukraine.
Speaking in a press conference alongside his European counterparts, Sir Keir said Europe is ‘stepping up’ on the 80th anniversary of VE day to secure Ukraine’s long-term future – after Putin called a three-day ceasefire for his Moscow event.
‘Volodymyr, we stand with you to secure the just and lasting peace that Ukraine deserves.’
‘It’s almost two months now since you agreed to an immediate 30 day ceasefire. In that time, Russia has launched some of the most deadly attacks on civilians of the entire war, including here in Kyiv. Normal lives, homes, families, destroyed.
‘This is what Russia offers in place of peace along with delays, smoke screens, like the current 72 hour ceasefire. And so all of us here together with the US are calling Putin out.
‘If he’s serious about peace then he has a chance to show it now. By extending the VE day pause into a full unconditional 30 day ceasefire, with negotiations to follow immediately after a ceasefire is agreed.
‘No more ifs and buts, no more conditions and delays. Putin didn’t need conditions when he wanted a ceasefire to have a parade. And he doesn’t need them now. Ukraine has shown the willingness to engage again and again, but again and again Putin has refused.’
The summit discussed a US and European proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in the Russian war in Ukraine that, if refused by Moscow, would see them jointly impose new sanctions, a French diplomatic source said.
But Russia dismissed the summit – as Putin crony Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of the Russian security council and ex-Russian president, said: ‘Macron, Merz, Starmer and Tusk were supposed to discuss peace in Kyiv.
‘Instead they are blurting out threats against Russia. Either a truce for the respite of Banderite horses or new sanctions.
‘You think that’s smart, eh? Shove these peace plans up you pangender arses!’
The leaders visited a war memorial before they held a meeting to discuss peace efforts, in which President Trump dialed in.
The leaders updated Trump on the progress made on the so-called ‘coalition of the willing’ plans for Ukraine in the unplanned call which lasted around 20 minutes.
During talks on Saturday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, announced that Ukraine and its European allies are ready to implement a ‘full, unconditional’ ceasefire as early as Monday.
Mr Sybiha said in his X post that ‘Ukraine and all allies are ready for a full unconditional ceasefire on land, air, and at sea for at least 30 days starting already on Monday’.
President Zelensky added on X, formerly Twitter: ‘We held a five-party meeting in Kyiv with European leaders — Ukraine, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Poland.
‘It is especially meaningful that they are together in Kyiv, in Ukraine, on these very days — as this week, in Europe, we honor the victors over Nazism and celebrate Europe Day.
‘All of this is about values and respect for human life, and therefore about security. It is security that we have been discussing today.
‘We all agree that there must be a ceasefire — full, unconditional and lasting long enough to make real diplomacy possible. We all agree that the war must end with a dignified peace.
‘We are working together to guarantee security — long-term and reliable. Thank you for your support.
Since Trump took office in January, Putin has teased negotiators with suggestions he would accept a ceasefire – but his troops have continued to advance into the Ukrainian province of Dnipro.
Last month the Russian president announced a 30-hour truce to mark Easter, although sporadic fighting continued.
On Wednesday, Donald Trump tore into Vladimir Putin, following the collapse of ceasefire plans.Â
Putin initially appeared amenable to Trump’s plan for a 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine in order to move the peace talks forward. But, a few days after the agreement, Russian forces dropped bombs on Kyiv.
‘We are getting to a point where some decisions are going to have to be made. I’m not happy about it. I’m not happy about it,’ President Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
Trump heads to the Middle East on Monday where he had high hopes of signing a peace deal. That is not on the agenda for his time in Saudi Arabia.
The president’s comments come as his advisers also had harsh words for the Russian leader and former President Joe Biden blasted Trump for his handling of the war in Ukraine.
Biden accused Trump and his administration of ‘modern-day appeasement’ in its dealings with Russia.
‘I just don’t understand how people think that if we allow a dictator, a thug, to decide he’s going to take significant portions of land that aren’t his and that’s gonna satisfy him, I don’t quite understand,’ Biden told the BBC.
Trump has pushed Ukraine hard to agree to peace, saying he thinks it should give up its Crimea territory to Moscow.
The president has said repeatedly he wants the killing in the war to stop.
Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance said that Russia was ‘asking for too much’ in its initial peace offer.
He did not elaborate on the terms.
‘I wouldn´t say that the Russians are uninterested in bringing this thing to a resolution,’ Vance said. ‘What I would say is right now: the Russians are asking for a certain set of requirements, a certain set of concessions in order to end the conflict. We think they´re asking for too much,’ he said.Â
Trump, when asked later Wednesday about the vice president’s comments, told reporters at the White House, ‘Well, it´s possible that´s right.’
Vance said the Trump administration appreciated the Ukrainian President Zelensky was willing to honor the terms of the cease fire but he also indicated the time for that has moved on.
He said that Russian and Ukrainian leaders need to sit down directly to negotiate a long-term peace agreement.
‘What the Russians have said is, ‘A 30-day ceasefire is not in our strategic interests.; So we´ve tried to move beyond the obsession with the 30-day ceasefire and more on the, what would a long-term settlement look like,’ Vance said.
