The situation at a glance: Putin suggests Kyiv direct talks in the coming week

After the ultimatum from Kiev for a longer ceasefire from Monday, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin of Ukraine offered the resumption of direct peace talks in Turkey. According to Putin’s will, these should begin in Istanbul next Thursday (May 15th), as the Kremlin chief said at night. It is about resuming direct conversations “without preconditions”, Putin emphasized before journalists in Moscow. “Those who really want to peace cannot be against it.” Putin did not go into the Ukrainian demand for a 30-day ceasefire.

The Kremlin chief announced a conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for today. He hoped that Erdogan would confirm his willingness to contribute to a peace solution in conflict with Ukraine. In the past, the Turkish President had described his country as the ideal place for possible peace negotiations. At first there was no reaction to Putin’s counter -proposal from Kyiv.

The Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj had previously called for a 30-day ceasefire to implement a 30-day ceasefire from Monday with a western backing of Moscow. Otherwise there should be new sanctions.

Putin in turn accused the Ukrainian side of having sabotaged several attempts for a break. At the same time, he did not complete an extension of the three -day ceasefire, which he had been proclaimed around May 9th. This ceasefire had expired at midnight local time (11:00 p.m. CEST).

Kremlin spokesman: ceasefire is over

According to the Russian State Agency Tass, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskow confirmed that the three -day ceasefire no longer applies. “Of course she is over,” said Peskow. There were numerous injuries to the agreements from the opposite side and thus “no serious break in fire”.

Both warring parties had accused each other after the start of the unilateral ceasefire on Thursday. Selenskyj accused Putin of only faking the fire break of the past few days in order to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union against Nazi Germany in the Second World War undisturbed. “The attacks on the front line continue,” said the head of state at a meeting of the allies “coalition of the willing” in Kiev.

Merz after meeting in Kyiv hopefully

Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU), French President Emmanuel Macron, the British Prime Minister Keir Strandmer and the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk had traveled to Kiev on Saturday to ultimately ask Russia to an unconditional armistice. Merz was hopeful at first. On ZDF he said: “This is the greatest diplomatic initiative that has existed in the past few months when it has not been years to end the war in Ukraine.”

Russia’s neighboring country has been defending Putin’s war of attack for more than three years. On the night of Sunday, too, there were reports on drone attacks in the war zone.

Russia calls conditions for ceasefire

Russia had called for an end to the arms deliveries to Kiev as a prerequisite for a 30-day break. “Otherwise there will be an advantage for Ukraine,” said Kremlin spokesman Peskow in the interview of the US broadcaster ABC.

Ukraine would use a ceasefire to continue their “total mobilization”, to bring additional troops to the front, to train new soldiers and to give the current fighters a breath. “Why should we give Ukraine such an advantage?” Russia himself is making its own offensive in Ukraine and has the initiative, Peskow emphasized.

Both warring parties always accuse each other not to have any real interest in the end of the fighting.

Kremlin reacts calmly to the threat of sanctions

Russia reacted calmly to the threat of the West with sanctions in the event that Moscow does not agree to the fire break. It would not be intimidated and have got used to the punitive measures anyway, Peskow told Russian state television. “We even imagine what we do after the imposition of these sanctions, how we will minimize your consequences,” he said. “To scare us with sanctions is in vain.”

The EU and the United States have already occupied Russia with numerous sanctions in order to take the economic basis for the continuation of the war of aggression against Ukraine. Western experts also certify the Russian economy that was not expected. The many economic problems are unmistakable because there is a lack of simple access to western technology. However, the large-scale raw material power continues to take billions from oil and gas sale. The money in turn keeps the war economy going.