WSJ: Ukraine ready to discuss 30-day ceasefire with Russia at talks in Türkiye

Ukrainian officials have stated that they will meet with the Russian delegation solely to discuss how to implement and monitor the unconditional 30-day ceasefire proposed by the administration of US President Donald Trump.

Source: The Wall Street Journal and Suspilne, citing their sources; RIA Novosti, a Kremlin-aligned Russian news outlet

Details: The WSJ noted that Ukraine agreed to such a ceasefire back in March, but Russian ruler Vladimir Putin has not yet supported the idea.

Suspilne reported that no official announcement has been made yet on who will be part of the Ukrainian delegation.

Last night, it became known that Putin's aide Vladimir Medinsky will head the Russian delegation. He already represented Russia in negotiations at the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

RIA Novosti, citing its sources, reports that the start of negotiations is expected in the afternoon. In the morning, Russian media wrote that the negotiations were to begin at 10:00.

Background:

• In a nighttime statement on 11 May, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin did not mention a 30-day ceasefire but said he was ready for "direct talks" with Kyiv in Istanbul on Thursday 15 May.
• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan confirmed to Zelenskyy that he is ready to accept direct negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that he had scheduled a meeting with Erdoğan in Ankara on 15 May, but if the Kremlin leader agrees to fly to Istanbul, he and Erdoğan will fly to meet him.
• Andrii Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said that if Putin refuses to come to Türkiye, it will be the last signal of Russia's unwillingness to end the war. The Kremlin said that the Russian side continues to prepare for negotiations in Istanbul on 15 May and has no further comments.
• Yermak said that Ukraine is ready for any format of negotiations with Russia, but there is one condition: a complete ceasefire by the aggressor country.
• Late on 14 May, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin approved the composition of the delegation for negotiations with Ukraine in Türkiye on 15 May. Putin himself is not on the list.
• On the eve of the negotiations, on the night of 14-15 May, the Russians attacked Ukraine with 110 Shahed attack UAVs and various types of decoy drones; 91 drones did not reach their targets.

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