Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday proposed direct talks with Ukraine on May 15 in Istanbul that he said should be aimed at achieving a durable peace and eliminating the root causes of the war.

Leaders from four major European countries threatened to ratchet up pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin if he does not accept

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday proposed direct talks with Ukraine on May 15 in Istanbul. Following are key quotes translated into English by Reuters. "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."