War in Ukraine: Trump's pressure on the Putin-Zelensky meeting
The essentials
- Volodymyr Zelensky has agreed to travel to Turkey on Thursday, May 15, to begin talks with Vladimir Putin. At the same time, Kyiv and its European allies issued an ultimatum to Moscow, proposing a "complete and unconditional" 30-day ceasefire with Russia, starting this Monday.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was ready "to hold negotiations without any preconditions" starting this Thursday in Istanbul. His Ukrainian counterpart invited him to meet "personally" on that occasion.
- At the same time, Donald Trump said he wanted to put pressure on future negotiations between kyiv and Moscow: "Putin does not want a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine, but rather a meeting to negotiate a possible end to the bloodshed (...) Ukraine should accept this immediately," he said on Truth Social this Sunday.
- This Monday, May 12, foreign ministers from several key European countries are meeting in London for "crucial" discussions on Ukraine, two days after Kyiv issued Moscow an ultimatum. "We must remain united, allies in protecting sovereignty, peace, and Ukraine," declared David Lammy, the British foreign minister.
- However, is Russia really ready to stop fighting in the name of peace? Not at all, according to the Institute for the Study of War ( ISW ). According to the ISW, Kremlin officials are trying to "introduce the Russian narrative into the Western information space," but remain "determined to pursue their war aims, which include the complete surrender of Ukraine," according to one of their memos.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Monday, May 12, that there must be a ceasefire before negotiations can take place between Ukraine and Russia, accusing Moscow of "playing a game." "To start peace talks, there must be a ceasefire," the Estonian official said upon arriving at a meeting of foreign ministers from several European countries in London. "We must put pressure on Russia because it is playing a game," she added.
No public dialogue has taken place between Moscow and Kyiv since March 2022, shortly after the start of the war. So, this Thursday's meeting promises to be historic between the two sides. Historic, but if it could be resolved relatively quickly, it would be the President of the United States who would be the first to be delighted, as he made clear this Sunday.
Donald Trump declared on his Truth Social platform that Ukraine should "HAVE A MEETING, NOW!" He stated that "Russian President Putin does not want a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine, but rather wants a meeting on Thursday, in Turkey, to negotiate a possible end to the BLOODBATHING. Ukraine should agree to this IMMEDIATELY. At least they can determine if an agreement is possible, and if not, European leaders and the United States will know where things stand and can act accordingly!"
On Monday, China said it hoped for a "lasting and binding" peace agreement to end the war in Ukraine, following Russian President Vladimir Putin's proposal to open direct talks between Kyiv and Moscow. "We hope the parties concerned will continue to use dialogue and negotiations to reach a fair, lasting, and binding peace agreement that is acceptable to all parties concerned," said Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
This Monday, May 12, 2025, foreign ministers from several key European countries are meeting in London for "crucial" discussions on Ukraine. Joining British Foreign Minister David Lammy at Lancaster House will be his German, Polish, and Spanish counterparts. For France, European Minister Benjamin Haddad will be present, as will EU Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas. The discussions will focus on "joint efforts to strengthen European security and for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine," the Foreign Office said in a statement. "We must remain united, allies in protecting sovereignty, peace, and Ukraine," David Lammy said.
A chilling note. According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a non-governmental organization, Vladimir Putin is attempting to manipulate ceasefire talks in Ukraine. Some Kremlin officials have "recently intensified their interactions with Western media, attempting to appeal directly to the Trump administration and American public opinion," states an ISW note. These recent interviews are reportedly allowing the Kremlin to "introduce the Russian narrative into the Western information space," it reads. The goal? To intimidate the West into making their voices heard. Vladimir Putin and some of his officials remain "determined to pursue their war aims, which include the complete surrender of Ukraine," the ISW asserts.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to visit Turkey this Thursday, May 15, 2025, even if Russia refuses to implement the 30-day ceasefire demanded by Ukraine and the European Union since Saturday. This information was confirmed by the American website Axios, cited by the Kyiv Independent, according to the statements of an unnamed Ukrainian official.
L'Internaute
