President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine responded cautiously on Sunday to Russia’s offer of direct talks, calling it a “positive sign” but insisting that President Vladimir V. Putin must agree to an immediate cease-fire first.
The Ukrainian leader’s comments came hours after Mr. Putin effectively rejected a cease-fire and instead proposed that direct talks between representatives of the two countries take place on May 15 in Istanbul. Mr. Zelensky did not directly address those details, but said in a social media post that he still “expected Russia to confirm a cease-fire” that would start on Monday.
The leaders of France, Britain, Germany and Poland visited Ukraine over the weekend and set a Monday deadline for Russia to accept a 30-day cease-fire or face additional sanctions. The European leaders, who spoke with President Trump by phone from Kyiv on Saturday, said that the United States would also impose sanctions on Russia if Mr. Putin did not agree to the truce.
On Sunday, Mr. Trump questioned whether either side wanted to make a deal. In a social media post, Mr. Trump said that Russia’s leader “doesn’t want to have a Cease Fire Agreement with Ukraine” but instead wants to meet in Turkey. Mr. Trump added that he was “starting to doubt that Ukraine will make a deal” with Putin, but implored both sides to take the meeting.
“At least they will be able to determine whether or not a deal is possible, and if it is not, European leaders, and the U.S., will know where everything stands, and can proceed accordingly,” Mr. Trump wrote.
Since initiating efforts to end the war in Ukraine three months ago, the Trump administration has aligned with Russia on a vote in the United Nations on the war and resumed broader diplomatic ties with Moscow. It has left in place existing economic sanctions but has not ramped up pressure with additional restrictions, even as Mr. Putin has shown little sign of pulling back in the war.
By contrast, Ukraine agreed in March to an American proposal for an unconditional cease-fire.
At a late-night news conference on Saturday, Mr. Putin responded to the European deadline by asking for direct talks with Ukraine that would begin in Istanbul in the coming days. He did not accept the cease-fire proposal, which the Kremlin spokesman had earlier said would only happen if Western governments stopped supplying arms to Ukraine.
President Emmanuel Macron of France called Russia’s response insufficient, saying as he left Ukraine that it was “a first step but not enough.” Mr. Macron said that Mr. Putin was stalling with his counteroffer of direct talks and “wants to buy time.”
The European leaders who visited Kyiv on Saturday were clear that only with an unconditional cease-fire would Moscow avoid coming under additional sanctions.
President Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey spoke with Mr. Putin and told him he was willing to host discussions between Russia and Ukraine, according to a statement posted on social media by the Turkish presidency. It added that Mr. Erdogan said that a comprehensive cease-fire could lead to a lasting deal to end the war.
The Kremlin declared a unilateral, three-day truce last week around the country’s celebration of the anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany. Ukraine’s military confirmed that most long-range strikes had halted over that period, but fighting along the front carried on without pause.
Russia resumed its long-range drone attacks on Ukraine overnight on Sunday. From midnight until mid-morning Sunday, Russian forces launched 108 Iranian-designed Shahed drones, the Ukrainian air force said, setting off air alarms in several cities.
Erica L. Green contributed reporting.
