Putin rejects European leaders’ ultimatum for Ukraine ceasefire

Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected a joint demand from key European leaders for an immediate, unconditional 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, according to reports by The Guardian and Reuters.

The ceasefire proposal, led by the UK, France, Germany, and Poland, warned of intensified sanctions and expanded military assistance to Ukraine if Russia failed to comply.

In response, Putin proposed direct negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul later this week but offered no commitment to halting military operations in the meantime. “We don’t exclude that during these negotiations we will be able to agree on new ceasefires,” he said during a late-night Kremlin press briefing.

The coordinated ceasefire appeal was delivered during a high-profile visit to Kyiv by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. U.S. President Donald Trump joined the meeting virtually in a show of allied support.

“We’re calling Putin out. If he’s serious about peace, then he has a chance to prove it now,” said Starmer. “This is a call for an unconditional ceasefire—rejecting Putin’s terms. Anything less will lead to tougher sanctions and increased military aid for Ukraine.”

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha confirmed Kyiv’s readiness for a full ceasefire—on land, at sea, and in the air—starting Monday, provided that Russia agrees and allows for independent international monitoring.

Earlier, Russia had unilaterally declared a three-day ceasefire to coincide with its May 8 Victory Day celebrations. However, Ukrainian officials described it as a “tactical pause,” claiming that frontline fighting continued despite a lull in missile and drone strikes.

Putin presided over the Victory Day parade in Moscow’s Red Square, flanked by international allies including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.