Putin proposes direct peace talks with Ukraine, Zelenskyy insists on ceasefire before negotiations

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday proposed holding direct peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15 without any pre-conditions, a move welcomed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who insisted that Moscow must agree to a ceasefire first.

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Putin said talks are intended to "eliminate the root causes of the conflict” and "reach the establishment of a long-term, durable peace."

"We would like to start talks immediately, already next Thursday, May 15, in Istanbul, where they were held before and where they were interrupted,” Putin said in an address. He emphasised the talks should be held "without any preconditions.”

Putin's address came just hours after the leaders of Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Poland stood alongside Zelenskyy in Kiev and urged Putin to agree to a 30-day ceasefire starting on Monday or face possible "massive sanctions."

Root causes are generally understood to cover a range of Russian grievances, from NATO's expansion eastwards to the size of Ukraine's military, according to reports.