As the war between Russia and Ukraine continues on the battlefield, global leaders are waging their own campaigns through diplomacy, pressure and strategic manoeuvring.
Just days ago, leaders from the UK, Germany, France and Poland arrived in Kyiv to urge Vladimir Putin to accept a 30-day, unconditional ceasefire. The message was clear: if Moscow refuses, Western allies will increase sanctions and ramp up military aid to Ukraine.
Buoyed by this unified show of support, Volodymyr Zelensky called the ceasefire ‘the first step in truly ending any war’.
But by morning, the Kremlin had issued a statement that ignored the ceasefire entirely. Instead, Putin proposed resuming direct peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on 14 May – without preconditions. This move directly challenged the EU’s demand that a ceasefire come before any negotiations.
‘We propose to the Kyiv authorities to resume the talks that they broke off in 2022, and, I emphasise, without any preconditions,’ Putin said.
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