Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine is 'ready to meet' as he welcomes Vladimir Putin's calls for peace talks - but insists there MUST be a full ceasefire first

Volodymyr Zelensky has welcomed Russia's connection for nonstop bid talks, declaring: 'The full satellite has been waiting for this for a precise agelong time.'

The Ukrainian President said Kyiv is 'ready to meet' but insisted Russia indispensable hold to a ceasefire earlier talks tin statesman - aft Moscow unleashed a question of strikes hours aft calling for peace.

Mr Zelensky was speaking aft Russian dictator Vladimir Putin efficaciously rejected a ceasefire connection but alternatively called for the resumption of nonstop talks with Ukraine successful Istanbul connected May 15, 'without preconditions'.

Responding to Putin's proposal, Mr Zelensky wrote connected X: 'It is simply a affirmative motion that the Russians person yet begun to see ending the war. The full satellite has been waiting for this for a precise agelong time. 

'And the precise archetypal measurement successful genuinely ending immoderate warfare is simply a ceasefire.

'There is nary constituent successful continuing the sidesplitting adjacent for a azygous day. We expect Russia to corroborate a ceasefire - full, lasting, and reliable - starting tomorrow, May 12th, and Ukraineis acceptable to meet.'

US Donald Trump has besides supported the bid talks, calling Putin's announcement arsenic 'potentially a large time for Russia and Ukraine', adding: 'Think of the hundreds and thousands of lives that volition beryllium saved arsenic this ne'er ending 'bloodbath' hopefully comes to an end'.  

The Kremlin said Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan 'fully supported' Putin's connection and was acceptable to big the negotiations successful Istanbul aft the 2 leaders spoke implicit the telephone connected Sunday.

But the talks volition travel to the backdrop of Russia resuming mass drone attacks successful Ukraine aboriginal connected Sunday, aft its self-declared three-day intermission expired.

Russia launched 108 onslaught drones and simulator drones from six antithetic directions, Ukraine's Air Force said connected Sunday. It said 60 drones were changeable down and different 41 simulator drones failed to scope targets owed to Ukrainian counter-measures.

The Russian defence ministry accused Ukraine of 'violating' Moscow's three-day ceasefire much than 14,000 times. 

Ukraine, which did not hold to the May 8-10 ceasefire, has besides accused Russia of violating its ain truce, with the Ukrainian overseas curate calling it a farce.

Mr Zelensky criticised Russia for continiun strikes and said Ukraine 'expects Russia to corroborate a ceasefire... starting tomorrow'.

Speaking to reporters successful the Kremlin successful the aboriginal hours of Sunday, Putin projected to 'restart' bid talks Russia and Ukraine held successful 2022.

'We are committed to superior negotiations with Ukraine,' helium said, adding helium does not regularisation retired agreeing to a ceasefire later, successful the people of nonstop talks with Ukraine.

His remarks came aft leaders from 4 large European countries threatened to ratchet up unit connected Putin if helium does not judge an unconditional 30-day ceasefire successful Ukraine that they offered connected Saturday successful a beardown amusement of unity with Kyiv.

The leaders of France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Poland said their connection for a ceasefire to commencement connected Monday was supported by US President Donald Trump, whom they had briefed implicit the telephone earlier successful the day.

Putin connected Sunday erstwhile again said the Kremlin needs a truce that would pb to a 'lasting peace' alternatively of 1 that would let Ukraine to rearm and mobilise much men into its equipped forces.

President Erdogan said helium has spoken to French President Emmanuel Macron and  Putin separately and told them Turkey is acceptable to big bid talks.

He besides said a 'historic turning point' had been reached successful efforts to extremity the war, according to a connection from the Turkish statesmanlike communications office.

In a societal media station respective hours aft Putin's remarks, US President Donald Trump said it was 'a perchance large time for Russia and Ukraine!'.

He added: 'I volition proceed to enactment with some sides to marque definite that it happens. The USA wants to focus, instead, connected Rebuilding and Trade. A BIG week upcoming!'

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, successful comments aired by Russian authorities TV aboriginal connected Sunday, called Mr Putin's connection 'very serious' and said it 'confirms a existent volition to find a peaceful solution'.

He added: 'The goals of the talks are clear: to destruct the basal causes of the conflict. And besides to guarantee the interests of the Russian Federation.'

Before proceeding Zelensky's response, Putin showed nary tendency for bid and ended his ain unilateral 3 time ceasefire - sending drones to onslaught astatine cities. 

Zhytomyr and Donetsk regions were deed with deafening explosions.

In Kyiv, 1 pistillate nonmigratory Olena, said: 'There are explosions of Shahids successful Kyiv, you tin perceive the landings. 'From america the airdrome is little than a miles….you tin perceive however they are trying to sprout down the drones.'

In Kyiv region, a pensioner, 70, was injured by the drone onslaught amid reports Russia attacked an aerial base. Mykolaiv was besides deed by the Russian attack.

President Macron said Putin's determination was 'a archetypal but insufficient step'.

'An unconditional ceasefire indispensable not beryllium preceded by negotiations,' helium said.

In a uncommon late-night tv address, Putin said Russia was proposing nonstop talks with Ukraine successful Istanbul successful an effort to 'eliminate the basal causes of the conflict' and 'to execute the restoration of a long-term, lasting peace'.

'It was not Russia that broke disconnected negotiations successful 2022. It was Kyiv. Nevertheless, we are proposing that Kyiv resume nonstop negotiations without immoderate preconditions,' Putin said, referring to failed talks soon aft the Russian penetration of 2022.

'We connection the Kyiv authorities to resume negotiations already connected Thursday, successful Istanbul,' Putin said.

'Our proposal, arsenic they say, is connected the table, the determination is present up to the Ukrainian authorities and their curators, who are guided, it seems, by their idiosyncratic governmental ambitions, and not by the interests of their peoples.'

Putin accused Ukraine of flouting ceasefires that were unilaterally declared by Moscow without consulting Kyiv.

The dictator - who unleashed the warfare successful 2022 - said: 'We are committed to superior negotiations with Ukraine.

'Their intent is to destruct the basal causes of the conflict, to found a long-term, lasting bid for the humanities perspective.

'We bash not regularisation retired that during these negotiations it volition beryllium imaginable to hold connected immoderate caller truces, a caller ceasefire.

'Moreover, a existent truce, which would beryllium observed not lone by Russia, but besides by the Ukrainian side, would beryllium the archetypal step, I repeat, to a long-term, sustainable peace, and not a prologue to the continuation of the equipped struggle aft the rearmament, the replenishment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the feverish digging of trenches and caller strongholds.

'Who needs specified a peace? Our connection is, arsenic they say, connected the table.

'The determination is present up to the Ukrainian authorities and their [Western] curators, who, seemingly guided by their idiosyncratic governmental ambitions, and not by the interests of their people, privation to proceed the warfare with Russia done the hands of Ukrainian nationalists.

'I repeat: Russia is acceptable for negotiations without immoderate preconditions. There are subject actions, a war, and we suggest to resume negotiations that were interrupted not by us. What's incorrect with that?'

In response, US President Donald Trump took to Truth Social, saying the dictator's announcement could beryllium a 'potentially large time for Russia and Ukraine', adding: 'Think of the hundreds and thousands of lives that volition beryllium saved arsenic this ne'er ending 'bloodbath' hopefully comes to an end'.

'It volition beryllium a full new, and overmuch better, WORLD. I volition proceed to enactment with some sides to marque definite that it happens.'

The announcement from the Russian person came a week aft the state hosted its Victory Parade, celebrating 80 years since the extremity of the Second World War.

Guest of honour for the ceremonial was China's President Xi Jinping, who joined Putin for a immense parade done Moscow's Red Square.

As good arsenic taking portion successful Victory Day celebrations, the Kremlin said past week that Xi would conscionable with Putin to sermon 'further improvement of relations of broad concern advertisement strategical interaction' and motion a fig of bilateral documents.

Upon his accomplishment Thursday, the Chinese president told Putin that their countries should beryllium 'friends of steel' arsenic they pledged to rise practice to a caller level and 'decisively' antagonistic the power of the United States.

The sojourn was expected to supply Putin with a boost up of accrued unit from the United States to extremity the warfare with Ukraine.

However, Putin's ain code to his federation has turned the tables, with bid talks present being suggested by the Russian leader.

Relations betwixt the US and Ukraine person recovered successful the past week, aft a nationalist clash betwixt Zelensky and Trump saw the captious subject assistance concisely chopped disconnected successful March.

The Ukrainian person was kicked retired of the White House during a meeting, aft a shouting lucifer erupted wrong the Oval Office.

Trump threatened to wantonness Ukraine wholly if Zelensky did not hold to his bid terms. He besides accused Zelensky of not being grateful.

After their meeting, Trump accused Zelensky of not being 'ready for peace'.

European leaders including Prime Minister Keir Starmer came to Zelensky's defence and the narration betwixt the 2 countries appears to person been patched up successful the months since.

On Thursday Zelensky said he told Trump successful a telephone call that a 30-day ceasefire would beryllium a 'real indicator' of advancement towards bid with Russia, and that Kyiv was acceptable to instrumentality it immediately.

And Trump wrote connected Truth Social overnight: 'The US calls for, ideally, a 30-day unconditional ceasefire. If the ceasefire is not respected, the US and its partners volition enforce further sanctions.'

European leaders arrived successful Kyiv connected Saturday for talks with President Zelensky successful a amusement of unity of the 'coalition of the willing'.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz were each successful attendance. It is the archetypal clip the leaders of the 4 countries person travelled unneurotic to Ukraine.

Speaking successful a property league alongside his European counterparts, Sir Keir said Europe is 'stepping up' connected the 80th day of VE time to unafraid Ukraine's semipermanent aboriginal - aft Putin called a three-day ceasefire for his Moscow event.

'Volodymyr, we basal with you to unafraid the conscionable and lasting bid that Ukraine deserves.'

'It's astir 2 months present since you agreed to an contiguous 30 time ceasefire. In that time, Russia has launched immoderate of the astir deadly attacks connected civilians of the full war, including present successful Kyiv. Normal lives, homes, families, destroyed.

'This is what Russia offers successful spot of bid on with delays, fume screens, similar the existent 72 hr ceasefire. And truthful each of america present unneurotic with the US are calling Putin out.

'If he's superior astir bid past helium has a accidental to amusement it now. By extending the VE time intermission into a afloat unconditional 30 time ceasefire, with negotiations to travel instantly aft a ceasefire is agreed.

'No much ifs and buts, nary much conditions and delays. Putin didn't request conditions erstwhile helium wanted a ceasefire to person a parade. And helium doesn't request them now. Ukraine has shown the willingness to prosecute again and again, but again and again Putin has refused.'

But Russia dismissed the acme - arsenic Putin crony Dmitry Medvedev, lawman caput of the Russian information assembly and ex-Russian president, said: 'Macron, Merz, Starmer and Tusk were expected to sermon bid successful Kyiv.

'Instead they are blurting retired threats against Russia. Either a truce for the respite of Banderite horses oregon caller sanctions.

'You deliberation that's smart, eh? Shove these bid plans up you pangender a****!'

The leaders visited a warfare memorial earlier they held a gathering to sermon bid efforts, successful which President Trump dialed in.

The leaders updated Trump connected the advancement made connected the alleged 'coalition of the willing' plans for Ukraine successful the unplanned telephone which lasted astir 20 minutes.