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Sunday, 12 April 2026, 04:22
A refusal by Russian President Vladimir Putin to take part in negotiations in Istanbul would be the final signal of Russia's unwillingness to end the full-scale war it started, according to Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.
Kyiv is calling on Warsaw to take active steps and engage in negotiations with Polish hauliers who recently blocked freight traffic near the Dorohusk-Yahodyn border crossing.
U.S. President's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff has identified three main topics likely to be discussed during possible negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
European leaders are prepared to wait for a possible meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Istanbul, Türkiye, on Thursday, May 15, before urging the United States to announce new sanctions on Moscow.
Turkey is poised to host Ukraine-Russia peace talks on May 15.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a phone conversation with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and several European ministers to discuss the path to peace in Ukraine.
Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin's visit to Istanbul for negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appears unlikely, according to Stanislav Zhelikhovskyi, PhD in Political Science and international expert.
12 May 2025
Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andrii Yermak, held talks with representatives of European Union institutions, Nordic and Baltic states, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany regarding the ceasefire process.
Russia, in any case, will have to end the war it launched against Ukraine. It would be better to do so sooner rather than later.
French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, believes that Vladimir Putin must travel to Istanbul and meet there with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna stated that Ukraine is ready to present its reform roadmaps to representatives of European Union member states and the European Commission.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss details of the upcoming May 15 talks in Istanbul, where Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to take part.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a law ratifying the agreement to establish the U.S.-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he supports the participation of U.S. President Donald Trump in talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul on May 15.
U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested he could fly to Istanbul, where President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin may have a personal meeting.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's statement expressing readiness for a personal meeting with the head of the aggressor state in Istanbul has placed Vladimir Putin in a zugzwang situation, where any move he makes will only worsen his position.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, reacting to Western threats of additional sanctions against Russia should it refuse a proposed 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, stated that Moscow does not accept the "language of ultimatums."
During his speech at the Conference of the Speakers of EU Parliaments in Budapest, Verkhovna Rada Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk called for the removal of artificial obstacles blocking the start of accession negotiations between Ukraine and the European Union.
Ukraine and Russia continue to insist on differing sequences for implementing a ceasefire and starting peace talks, each seeking to gain Washington's backing. Turkey, meanwhile, maintains that a ceasefire must come first before negotiations can begin.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha provided an update on the battlefield situation in Ukraine and coordinated peace efforts with counterparts from the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Poland, Germany, France, and the European Union during a ministerial meeting in London.
Germany's new federal government will continue providing military assistance to Ukraine, but will do so with less public disclosure to avoid revealing information to Russia.
Russia has to agree by the end of Monday to a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine or face potential new sanctions as previously warned by its partners.
On Monday, May 12, the newly appointed Ambassador of Ukraine to China, Oleksandr Nechytailo, presented copies of his credentials to Hong Lei, Assistant Minister and Director-General of the Department of Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, and officially assumed his duties.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas has accused Russia of “playing games” and stressed that any negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine must be preceded by a ceasefire.
Foreign ministers of the Weimar Triangle+ countries, meeting in London on Monday, are set to hold a phone call with their U.S. and Turkish counterparts to discuss organizing peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has held his first conversation with Pope Leo XIV and expressed gratitude for the Vatican’s support of Ukraine.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin must “get serious” about engaging in peace talks.
In the near future, Kremlin propagandists will intensify efforts aimed at discrediting the negotiation process and the U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal, among other things.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy will meet with several European counterparts on Monday to discuss support for Ukraine and strengthen regional defense cooperation ahead of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s summit with European Union leaders next week.