Putin's surprise offer to talk directly to Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday offered direct talks without preconditions with Ukraine at Istanbul on May 15. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the Russian leader's offer but said that a permanent ceasefire should precede the talks.

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It is for the first time in three years since the Russian invasion of Ukraine that Putin has talked of talks, and that too direct talks. But observers feel that Putin's offer is not without complications, and that Putin is only keen to push through his agenda of seeking Ukrainian neutrality that is, refrain from joining NATO and of letting Russia keep the Ukrainian territory that it has already occupied, including Crimea.

This is indeed his agenda, and he is sure to put it forward at the talks, but it would be unrealistic of him to expect Ukraine and Zelensky accept all that he wants. The important thing is that Putin does seem to realise that the three-year war is not going anywhere, and that Russia has failed to realise its initial war goal of replacing the Zelensky regime with a pro-Moscow Ukrainian government in Kyiv.