Russian President Vladimir Putin stays silent on his participation in a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. His missiles speak instead.
On 11 May, the Russian ruler announced his readiness for “direct negotiations with Ukraine without preconditions” — set for 15 May in Turkiye. Yet by 13 May, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dodged questions about Russia’s delegation, saying only that “names will be revealed when Putin deems it necessary.” This vague stance casts doubt on Moscow’s sincerity.
The same day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed his participation in the upcoming meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara and stated he’s ready to head to Istanbul immediately if needed for direct talks with Vladimir Putin to end the fighting, Hromadske reports.
“We’ll do everything we can to make this meeting happen,” Zelenskyy emphasized, adding that any real agreement must be made directly with the Kremlin’s leader.
Meanwhile, Ukraine and its allies, France, Germany, the UK, Poland, and the US, have called for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire beginning 12 May. If not, then European countries will impose more sanctions on Moscow. But Russia’s military aggression continues as Moscow continues to launch drones and missiles at Ukrainian cities, according to UkrInform.
Zelenskyy has reminded that Russia has already violated its own signals of willingness to pause fire during Easter and the 8–10 May period. In just those three days, the Russian army launched:
- 12,100 attacks on Ukrainian territory
- 115 airstrikes
- 197 guided aerial bombs
- 7,303 kamikaze drones on Ukrainian infrastructure
As world leaders call for peace, the Kremlin keeps testing the West’s patience.
