Ukraine Expects Full Ceasefire From May 12 – Zelensky

President Volodymyr Zelensky stated Ukraine expects a full and long-term ceasefire to begin on Monday, May 12.

“There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will wait for Putin on Thursday in Turkey. Personally,” Zelensky said.

He also voiced hope that Russia would not come up with new pretexts to avoid participating in the negotiations.

Early on May 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters he was prepared to resume “direct negotiations” with Ukraine on May 15 in Istanbul.

At the same time, Ukraine and its allies proposed a complete and unconditional ceasefire starting May 12, following a meeting of the “coalition of the willing” in Kyiv on May 10.

Putin did not respond to this proposal at the time, but Zelensky commented on his words.

“This is a good sign that the Russians have finally thought about ending the war. Everyone in the world has been waiting for this for a very long time. And the first real step toward ending any war is a ceasefire,” Zelensky said.

The coalition meeting resulted in a decision to declare a 30-day unconditional ceasefire beginning May 12.

Following the meeting, Zelensky, along with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, held a joint call with U.S. President Donald Trump.

After the call, Trump publicly endorsed a 30-day unconditional ceasefire and warned of new sanctions should the initiative be ignored.

Meanwhile, Russia has announced a temporary closure of airspace over the Kapustin Yar missile range on May 12 and 13, between 06:00 and 16:00 local time, for a potential ballistic missile launch.

A similar airspace closure was observed on November 21, 2024, ahead of the Kedr (Oreshnik) missile strike on the Dnipro.