Putin outlines his war goals in Ukraine

This was reported by Russian state news agency TASS.

According to Putin, the result of the "special operation" should be, supposedly, long-term peace and the protection of the interests of the Russian-speaking population in Ukraine.

Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul

In his late-night address on May 11, Vladimir Putin said he was ready for direct talks with Ukraine in Turkey, but rejected the idea of a 30-day ceasefire.

On May 12, the German government warned that if Russia didn’t agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine by the end of the day, European partners would begin preparing new sanctions. In response, the Kremlin said ultimatums against Russia were unacceptable.

Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Mykhailo Podolyak, stated that on May 15 in Turkey, Volodymyr Zelenskyy would meet only with Putin, not with any other representative of the Russian Federation. Later, President Zelenskyy confirmed he would personally travel to Turkey for the talks with Putin.

On the evening of May 14, Russia announced the makeup of its delegation for talks with Ukraine in Istanbul, led by the Russian leader’s aide, Vladimir Medinsky.

Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Vladimir Putin would not take part in the talks. In the end, Putin did not show up, and Zelenskyy flew to Albania after meeting with Erdogan in Ankara.

On May 16, a trilateral meeting was held in Istanbul between the delegations of Ukraine, the United States, and Turkey. This was followed by talks between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations. According to Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, the parties discussed a prisoner exchange based on a "1,000-for-1,000" formula, the ceasefire issue, and the possibility of a meeting between Presidents Zelenskyy and Putin.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a meeting between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was possible, but only as a “result of work” after agreements are reached.