Istanbul talks proposal: what was on the table on 15 May 2025
A look back at the diplomatic standoff over direct Russia-Ukraine negotiations and a proposed ceasefire in the days before the Istanbul date.
What was expected of the proposed Istanbul negotiations on 15 May 2025, and why was their status so contested? The answer lay in a diplomatic exchange that began four days earlier.
On 11 May 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed holding direct negotiations in Istanbul, Turkey, on 15 May. The proposal came after the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Poland threatened further sanctions if Russia did not agree to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire beginning on 12 May.
The same day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Russia to confirm an unconditional ceasefire before any direct negotiations between the two countries took place. The positions therefore differed on sequence: Moscow offered talks in Istanbul, while Kyiv asked for a confirmed ceasefire first.
The exchange set the terms of the diplomatic debate going into 15 May 2025, with the European demand for a 30-day halt, the threat of additional sanctions and the Istanbul offer all part of the same fast-moving sequence.
