A News Agency

Russian President Vladimir Putin made a statement during the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow.

In his statement, Putin said:

"I would like to once again congratulate you all on the Great Victory Day! I believe it is clear to everyone that the meetings and discussions held in Moscow also raised the issue of resolving the conflict in Ukraine. We have proposed steps toward a ceasefire many times. We have never refused to engage in dialogue with the Ukrainian side. We propose to immediately start negotiations on Thursday, May 15, in Istanbul – the same place where talks had previously taken place and were interrupted. As you know, our Turkish colleagues have repeatedly offered their services in organizing such talks, and President Erdoğan has made significant efforts to make them happen. As a result of these talks, a joint draft document was prepared and initialed by the head of the Ukrainian negotiation delegation, but under Western pressure, that document was shelved. Tomorrow, I will have a meeting with the President of Turkey, Mr. Erdoğan. I would like to ask him to once again provide the opportunity for such negotiations to be hosted in Turkey. I hope he will continue his contribution to achieving peace in Ukraine."