Donald Trump issues urgent

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has criticized both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine, urging for a peace agreement to end the conflict in Eastern Europe. On Truth Social, Trump stated that Putin wants to meet Ukrainian officials in Turkey on May 15 to discuss ending the “bloodbath” and urged Ukraine to attend immediately. He expressed doubt that Ukraine would agree, accusing Putin of being preoccupied with celebrating World War II. Meanwhile, Putin proposed resuming peace talks without preconditions, emphasizing the need for a lasting peace rather than a temporary ceasefire that could allow Ukraine to regroup militarily.

European leaders from France, the UK, Germany, and Poland have pressured Putin to accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, with support from Trump. Although Putin has not directly addressed this proposal, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia is open to talks “without preconditions.” Ukraine, supported by European leaders, has called for a ceasefire of at least 30 days to facilitate diplomatic efforts. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised the European leaders’ support as a crucial signal, emphasizing that any conditional ceasefire could undermine peace efforts.