Donald Trump issues urgent plea to Russia and Ukraine as Putin makes new proposal

Donald Trump has spoken out strongly after Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested a new round of peace talks with Ukraine. Putin wants Russian and Ukrainian officials to meet this Thursday, May 15, in Istanbul, Turkey, to see if they can reach a deal to end the war. He said he’s open to serious talks and didn’t place any conditions on the meeting. He also mentioned that a ceasefire might be possible if the talks go well.

Trump reacted quickly on his social media platform, Truth Social. He criticized both Putin and Ukraine. He said that Putin doesn’t really want a ceasefire right now, but he does want to meet and talk about ending the “bloodbath” happening in Eastern Europe. Trump urged Ukraine to accept the invitation right away and go to the meeting. He said even if they don’t reach an agreement, at least the world will clearly know where both sides stand and what to expect next.

Trump also expressed doubt that Ukraine would agree to any deal. He pointed out that Putin seems more focused on celebrating Russia’s victory in World War II than actually stopping the war. Trump reminded everyone that the United States played a major role in winning that war, saying it couldn’t have been done without America. He ended his post by shouting in capital letters: “HAVE THE MEETING, NOW!!!”

Putin made his proposal after four major European countries—France, the UK, Germany, and Poland—told him they would increase pressure if he didn’t agree to a full 30-day ceasefire. These leaders also said their plan had support from Donald Trump, who they had spoken with earlier by phone. They want a ceasefire to start on Monday so there can be time for real peace talks.

Putin said he’s committed to serious negotiations but added that any truce must lead to lasting peace—not just give Ukraine more time to prepare its military. He said people who truly want peace should support his call to restart talks and that he plans to speak with Turkey’s President Erdogan to help arrange the meeting.

The Kremlin hasn’t directly answered the European ceasefire proposal, but a spokesperson said they are considering it. That spokesperson also repeated that Russia is willing to talk without setting any preconditions, and claimed that it’s Ukraine who is blocking progress.

Earlier, Russia had declared its own short ceasefire over the weekend to mark the anniversary of victory against Nazi Germany. However, Ukraine said Russian forces still launched attacks during that time, breaking the agreement.

Back in March, the US had suggested a 30-day limited truce, which Ukraine accepted, but Russia refused unless it came with terms that suited them better.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the European leaders in Kyiv and called their visit and message a powerful sign of unity. Together, they released a joint statement asking for a full ceasefire of at least 30 days starting Monday. They said the ceasefire must be completely unconditional—no special demands from Russia or anyone else. If Russia tries to add conditions, they warned, it would only be a trick to drag out the war and stop real peace efforts.

As the date for Thursday’s proposed meeting approaches, it’s still unclear whether all sides will show up or whether anything meaningful will come from it. But the calls for peace and growing pressure from world leaders show that many are desperate to end the war and avoid more suffering.