Istanbul talks offer and ceasefire demand: 13 May 2025
A look back at the diplomatic positions Kyiv and Moscow had set out ahead of a proposed meeting in Istanbul.
What was on the table on 13 May 2025, two days before the proposed Istanbul meeting? Two positions, set out on 11 May 2025, framed the diplomacy of that day.
Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed direct negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul, Turkey, on 15 May. The proposal followed a warning from the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Poland that they would impose further sanctions if Russia did not agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire beginning on 12 May.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy answered by calling on Russia to confirm an unconditional ceasefire before any direct negotiations between the two countries took place. In effect, Kyiv put a halt to fighting ahead of talks, while Moscow offered talks without first accepting the ceasefire the four European countries had sought.
The wider positions
The exchange sat within a longer series of peace efforts since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Putin has sought recognition of all occupied land as Russian, guarantees that Ukraine will never join NATO, curtailment of Ukraine's military and the lifting of sanctions. Zelenskyy has sought a ceasefire, full withdrawal of Russian troops, the return of prisoners and kidnapped Ukrainian children, prosecution of Russian leaders for war crimes, and security guarantees against further aggression.
As of 13 May 2025, the question of sequence, ceasefire first or talks first, divided the two sides.
