Are we about to see Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sitting across from each other at a negotiating table in Turkey? It looks like that could actually happen this week.
If both leaders really do show up, there will be peace negotiations in Turkey starting on Thursday. But will these negotiations lead to peace, or will they lead to World War 3?
Western leaders were threatening to hit Russia with a new round of very harsh sanctions if the Russians did not agree to a 30 day ceasefire beginning on March 12th. In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered to start direct peace talks with Ukraine on May 15th…
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday proposed direct talks with Ukraine on May 15 in Turkey that he said should be aimed at bringing a durable peace, an initiative welcomed by US President Donald Trump.
Some western leaders are suggesting that Putin is not serious about peace.
But to me, it definitely sounds like he is ready for substantial talks with the Ukrainians…
President Vladimir Putin said, according to a translation by the BBC: “We are determined to have serious negotiations with Ukraine. The purpose is to eliminate the root causes of the conflict and establish long-term, lasting peace with a historical perspective.
“We do not exclude that during these negotiations it will be possible to agree to some new truces, a new ceasefire. Moreover, a real ceasefire that would be observed not only by the Russian side, but also by the Ukrainian side.”
Surprisingly, it appears that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accepted the offer to meet in Turkey on May 15th.