INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The Kremlin on Monday duplicated President Vladimir Putins call for direct Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul later on this week, but did not
state whether the Russian leader would meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in person.On Sunday, Putin proposed to resume direct
settlements last held in Istanbul in March 2022, while implicitly turning down Kyivs call, backed by European allies, for a 30-day ceasefire
Zelensky responded by challenging Putin to satisfy in person in Istanbul on Thursday.Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov informed press
reporters that all he might say was that world leaders, consisting of U.S
President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoan, invited Putins proposition with understanding and support.Overall, we stay
committed to a severe effort towards a long-lasting peaceful resolution, Peskov said, without confirming whether Putin would attend the
proposed talks.Putin and Zelensky have not satisfied considering that December 2019, more than two years before Russia released its major
invasion.Both Moscow and Kyiv appear to be trying to align themselves with Trumps push for a speedy peace handle Ukraine, while painting the
other as a barrier to his efforts.An anonymous Ukrainian official informed Axios that Zelensky plans to travel to Turkey this week, despite
Russias position on the proposed 30-day ceasefire.Russian senators stated on state television that a Putin-Zelensky meeting was unlikely to
happen in Istanbul.Peskov likewise pressed back against Germanys warning earlier on Monday that the EU would enforce new sanctions if Russia
did decline a ceasefire by the end of the day.The language of demands is inappropriate to Russia
You can not talk to Russia in such terms, he said.
