Trump hails a ‘potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine’ after Putin called for Istanbul peace talks in late night TV address

 US President Donald Trump has hailed a ‘potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine’ after Vladimir Putin called for peace talks in a late night TV address.

Last night the Russian President called for direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15, saying the two countries should aim to achieve ‘peace’.

In a rare late-night television address, he said Russia was proposing direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul in an attempt to ‘eliminate the root causes of the conflict’ and ‘to achieve the restoration of a long-term, lasting peace’.

‘It was not Russia that broke off negotiations in 2022. It was Kyiv. Nevertheless, we are proposing that Kyiv resume direct negotiations without any preconditions,’ Putin said, referring to failed talks shortly after the Russian invasion of 2022.

‘We offer the Kyiv authorities to resume negotiations already on Thursday, in Istanbul,’ Putin said.

‘Our proposal, as they say, is on the table, the decision is now up to the Ukrainian authorities and their curators, who are guided, it seems, by their personal political ambitions, and not by the interests of their peoples.’

This morning President Trump has responded with a post on Truth Social, saying he will continue to work with both sides in the hope of achieving the end of the war.

Mr Trump wrote:  ‘A potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine! Think of the hundreds of thousands of lives that will be saved as this never ending “bloodbath” hopefully comes to an end. It will be a whole new, and much better, WORLD. I will continue to work with both sides to make sure that it happens. The USA wants to focus, instead, on Rebuilding and Trade. A BIG week upcoming!’

In a rare late-night TV address on Sunday, he said Russia was proposing direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul in an attempt to ‘eliminate the root causes of the conflict’ and ‘to achieve the restoration of a long-term, lasting peace’

Us President Donald Trump hailed a ‘potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with European leaders in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv yesterday

The announcement from the Russian leader comes after a week where the country hosted its Victory Parade, celebrating 80 years since the end of the Second World War.

Guest of honour for the ceremony was China’s President Xi Jinping, who joined Putin for a huge parade through Moscow’s Red Square.

As well as taking part in Victory Day celebrations, the Kremlin said last week that Xi would meet with Putin to discuss ‘further development of relations of comprehensive partnership ad strategic interaction’ and sign a number of bilateral documents.

Upon his arrival Thursday, the Chinese president told Putin that their countries should be ‘friends of steel’ as they pledged to raise cooperation to a new level and ‘decisively’ counter the influence of the United States.

The visit was expected to provide Putin with a boost ahead of increased pressure from the United States to end the war with Ukraine.

However, Putin’s own address to his nation has turned the tables, with peace talks now being suggested by the Russian leader.

Relations between the US and Ukraine have recovered in the past week, after a public clash between Volodymyr Zelensky and Trump saw the vital military aid briefly cut off in March.

The Ukrainian leader was kicked out of the White House during a meeting, after a shouting match erupted inside the Oval Office.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, talk as they watch the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Russia, Friday, May 9, 2025, during celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany during the World War II

President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky’s meeting in the Oval Office became a shouting match

Trump threatened to abandon Ukraine completely if Zelensky did not agree to his peace terms. He also accused Zelensky of not being grateful.

After their meeting, Trump accused the leader of not being ‘ready for peace’.

European leaders including Prime Minister Keir Starmer came to Zelensky’s defence and the relationship between the two countries appears to have been patched up.

On Thursday Zelensky said he told Trump in a telephone call that a 30-day ceasefire would be a ‘real indicator’ of progress towards peace with Russia, and that Kyiv was ready to implement it immediately.

And Trump wrote on Truth Social overnight: ‘The US calls for, ideally, a 30-day unconditional ceasefire. If the ceasefire is not respected, the US and its partners will impose further sanctions.’

European leaders arrived in Kyiv on Saturday for talks with President Zelensky in a show of unity of the ‘coalition of the willing’.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz were all in attendance. It is the first time the leaders of the four countries have travelled together to Ukraine.

Speaking in a press conference alongside his European counterparts, Sir Keir said Europe is ‘stepping up’ on the 80th anniversary of VE day to secure Ukraine’s long-term future – after Putin called a three-day ceasefire for his Moscow event.

(From left to right) British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in a show of unity of the ‘coalition of the willing’ in Kyiv on Saturday

The leaders of Britain, France , Germany and Poland arrived in Kyiv on Saturday for talks with Ukrainian President Zelensky in a show of unity of the ‘coalition of the willing’, a day after Putin’s hosted his allies for a Red Square Victory Day parade

The leaders gave a joint press conference in Kyiv on Saturday afternoon following the latest meeting of the ‘coalition of the willing’

‘Volodymyr, we stand with you to secure the just and lasting peace that Ukraine deserves.’

‘It’s almost two months now since you agreed to an immediate 30 day ceasefire. In that time, Russia has launched some of the most deadly attacks on civilians of the entire war, including here in Kyiv. Normal lives, homes, families, destroyed.

‘This is what Russia offers in place of peace along with delays, smoke screens, like the current 72 hour ceasefire. And so all of us here together with the US are calling Putin out.

‘If he’s serious about peace then he has a chance to show it now. By extending the VE day pause into a full unconditional 30 day ceasefire, with negotiations to follow immediately after a ceasefire is agreed.

‘No more ifs and buts, no more conditions and delays. Putin didn’t need conditions when he wanted a ceasefire to have a parade. And he doesn’t need them now. Ukraine has shown the willingness to engage again and again, but again and again Putin has refused.’

The summit discussed a US and European proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in the Russian war in Ukraine that, if refused by Moscow, would see them jointly impose new sanctions, a French diplomatic source said.

But Russia dismissed the summit – as Putin crony Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of the Russian security council and ex-Russian president, said: ‘Macron, Merz, Starmer and Tusk were supposed to discuss peace in Kyiv.

‘Instead they are blurting out threats against Russia. Either a truce for the respite of Banderite horses or new sanctions.

‘You think that’s smart, eh? Shove these peace plans up you pangender arses!’

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