Zelensky Responds to Putin’s Counterproposal: Ceasefire, Then We Talk

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 11, welcoming his call for peace talks between the two nations, but insisted a full, temporary cease-fire must be in place before negotiations begin.

“It is a positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war,” Zelenskyy wrote in a post on social media platform X. “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.”

On Sunday, Russia resumed mass drone attacks on Ukraine, capping the end of its self-declared 3-day pause in fighting.

Ukraine’s Air Force said on Sunday that Russia had launched 108 attack drones and simulator drones from six different locations, with 60 drones shot down and another 41 simulator drones failing to hit their targets following Ukrainian countermeasures.

Both nations have accused one another of violating the three-day cease-fire, with the Russian Defense Ministry on Sunday claiming Ukraine had done so 14,000 times. Ukraine also accused Russia of violating the truce, and the Ukrainian foreign minister called it a farce.

Ukraine had not agreed to the May 8–10 cease-fire that Russia unilaterally declared and accused Russia of constantly violating it.

Zelenskyy highlighted a proposal to begin a 30-day unconditional cease-fire on Monday, saying he expects Putin to commit to a “full, lasting, and reliable” cease-fire by May 12, and “Ukraine is ready to meet.”

“There is no point in continuing the killing even for a single day,” Zelenskyy said.

While speaking to the media early on Sunday, Putin called for resuming direct peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on Thursday “without any preconditions,” during which a cease-fire could be negotiated.

Meanwhile, the leaders from four major European nations are threatening to raise pressure on Moscow if it does not agree to an unconditional 30-day cease-fire in Ukraine, joining together on Saturday in a show of unity for Kyiv.

“We reiterate our backing for President Trump’s calls for a peace deal and call on Russia to stop obstructing efforts to secure an enduring peace,” the leaders of France, Germany, Poland, and the United Kingdom said in a joint statement. “Alongside the U.S., we call on Russia to agree to a full and unconditional 30-day cease-fire to create the space for talks on a just and lasting peace.”

The Trump administration had also previously proposed a 30-day total cease-fire between the two warring nations, although Moscow has seemed reluctant to accept the proposal.

Several hours after Putin’s remarks on Sunday, President Donald Trump said it was a “potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine!”

“I will continue to work with both sides to make sure that it happens. The USA wants to focus, instead, on Rebuilding and Trade. A big week upcoming!” Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social.

In remarks that aired on Russian state TV on Sunday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described Putin’s proposal as “very serious” and said it “confirms a real intention [to] find a peaceful solution.”

“The goals of the talks are clear: to eliminate the root causes of the conflict. And also to ensure the interests of the Russian Federation,” Peskov said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron by phone on Sunday and said Turkey was ready to facilitate peace between Russia and Ukraine, including hosting discussions to “establish cease-fire and lasting peace.”

During the call, Erdogan said the nations involved had reached a “historic turning point” in ending the war, according to a statement from the Turkish presidential communications office, which confirmed he had also spoken to Putin on Sunday.

Erdogan told Russia that he was ready to host negotiations that “could lead to a lasting resolution.”