President of Russia Vladimir Putin makes a speech during a press conference in Moscow, Russia on May 10, 2025. Photo: VCG

Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected an ultimatum by European leaders to agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine or face increased sanctions, but has proposed holding direct negotiations with Kiev this week, The Guardian reported on Saturday.

Putin noted that the possibility of a ceasefire agreement could be discussed during the proposed negotiations, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Ukraine expects Russia to confirm a full and lasting ceasefire starting May 12 and declared its readiness to begin talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a statement on Sunday, according to The Kyiv Independent.

He described Russia's proposal to resume talks as a "positive sign," Xinhua News Agency reported.

In what is regarded by media as "an ultimatum," leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Poland told Russian president to accept unconditional 30-day ceasefire by Monday or face increased sanctions and weapons transfers to Ukraine, The Guardian reported.

"We are proposing that Kiev resume direct negotiations without any preconditions," the Russian president told reporters. "We offer the Kiev authorities to resume negotiations already on Thursday, in Istanbul," the Al Jazeera reported.

Putin said that he would speak to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan later on Sunday about facilitating the talks, per Al Jazeera. 

US President Donald Trump said Sunday he will "continue to work with both sides" to end the conflict in Ukraine following Putin's proposal, according to The Barrons.

"A potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine!" Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. 

Following the 80th anniversary of victory in the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War, Russia has shifted its focus back to the Ukraine conflict, Cui Heng, a scholar from the Shanghai-based China National Institute for SCO International Exchange and Judicial Cooperation, told the Global Times on Sunday. Previously, Moscow sought negotiations with the US, but the result is ineffective. 

Now, with the recent signing of a US-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund, prompting Russia to signal its willingness to engage in direct talks with Ukraine—thus seizing initiative over the negotiation, Cui said.

While both Russia and Ukraine express openness to negotiations, Cui noted that the key obstacle lies in preconditions. Russia is ready for negotiations without any preconditions, while Ukraine asks "no further territory ceded to Russia, including territory in the partially-occupied regions of Ukraine," according to media reports. 

Earlier, France is consulting with partners on how to potentially support Ukraine with troops, French President Emmanuel Macron told newspaper Le Parisien on Saturday, without elaborating on what such a presence could include, Reuters reported.

"We are working on the presence and strategic footprint of the partner countries. There have been several exchanges between our British, French and Ukrainian chiefs of staff, who have coordinated the work with all their partners, and all this is becoming clearer and making progress," Macron was cited in the article. "The key is to have troops in Ukraine," he added.

A temporary ceasefire could offer a respite, allowing both sides to prepare for further talks and respond to public opinion domestically. However, the fundamental impasse remains: Ukraine's territorial integrity versus Russia's security demands, the expert said.