Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky demands Putin agree to full ceasefire – but welcomes his call for talks

The Russian Defence Ministry has said that Ukraine had violated a three-day truce concluded on Saturday more than 14,000 times, and Kyiv’s troops had made five attempts to breach Russia’s southern border, the TASS state news agency reported.

The comments come after the Ukrainian air force said that Russia had launched more than 100 attack drones during the proposed ceasefire period.

Both Russia and Ukraine have repeatedly accused the other of violating the May 8-10 ceasefire, which Kyiv did not agree to. The pause was announced by Russia to commemorate the 80th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two.

More than 100 drones were launched against Ukraine by Russia following Vladimir Putin’s announcement of a Victory Day truce, the Ukrainian air force have said.

Both sides have accused each other of breaching the truce. The three-day ceasefire was announced by Russia to coincide with their commemorations of the 80th anniversary of victory in World War Two.

In a post on Telegram, the Ukrainian Air Force wrote: “On the night of May 11, the enemy attacked with 108 Shahed attack drones and other types of drones. As a result of the enemy attack, the Sumy region suffered.”

The UK home secretary has said that “we need a serious response from Russia” on the war in Ukraine.

Yvette Cooper was speaking to Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips after Vladimir Putin proposed starting direct talks with Ukraine.

Ms Cooper said: “Well, we need a serious response from Russia.

“They started this illegal invasion of Ukraine and everyone wants to see peace in Ukraine, and now we’ve had the huge international pressure calling for a ceasefire.

“We do need to now see a serious response from the Russian regime. That so far has been lacking, I hope that they will now take this seriously.”

Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov has said that peace talks between Russia and Ukraine proposed by president Vladimir Putin will take into account the situation on the ground as well as the negotiations of 2022, the Interfax news agency reported.

Mr Putin on Sunday proposed direct talks with Ukraine on May 15 in Istanbul.

Mr Putin mentioned the 2022 draft deal which Russia and Ukraine negotiated shortly after the Russian invasion of February 2022 in his comments. Under that draft, Ukraine would reportedly have to agree to permanent neutrality in return for security guarantees from the UN Security Council.

Mr Putin said: “It was not Russia that broke off negotiations in 2022. It was Kyiv. Russia is ready to negotiate without any preconditions”.

French president Emmanuel Macron has also responded to Vladimir Putin’s proposal of peace talks this morning.

In a statement, Mr Macron said that “a ceasefire is needed now for discussions to begin”.

He said: “In Kyiv and with President Trump, we made a clear proposal: an unconditional 30-day ceasefire starting Monday. President Zelensky has made a commitment without any conditions.

“We expect an equally clear response from Russia. You don’t negotiate when weapons speak. There is no discussion if, at the same time, populations are being bombed.

“A ceasefire is needed now for discussions to begin. For peace”.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has responded to Vladimir Putin’s proposals, saying Ukraine “expect Russia to confirm a ceasefire”.

Writing on X, formerly Twitter, Mr Zelensky said: “It is a positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war. The entire world has been waiting for this for a very long time. And the very first step in truly ending any war is a ceasefire.

“There is no point in continuing the killing even for a single day. We expect Russia to confirm a ceasefire – full, lasting, and reliable – starting tomorrow, May 12th, and Ukraine is ready to meet.”

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has been asked about Ukraine on Sky News. She said: “We need to see a serious response from Russia… that so far has been lacking, I hope they take this opportunity”.

Allied leaders made “material progress” towards a ceasefire in Ukraine on Saturday, Sir Keir Starmer said.

This happened before Vladimir Putin made his proposal for direct peace talks with Ukraine.

The prime minister said on Saturday that European allies “together with the US” are “calling Putin out” and pledged to ramp up sanctions further if he “turns his back on peace”.

He had travelled to Kyiv alongside his French, German and Polish counterparts for talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky about the so-called coalition of the willing.

The leaders in the Ukrainian capital also spoke by phone to US President Donald Trump, who has also previously called for a 30-day truce.

In response to Mr Putin’s comments on direct talks with Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron said Mr Putin’s comments were “a first step, but not enough” and that the Russian president was “looking for a way out, but he still wants to buy time”.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has yet to respond to Vladimir Putin’s invitation for direct talks in Turkey.

Russia, Putin said, had proposed several ceasefires, including a moratorium on striking energy facilities, an Easter ceasefire and most recently the 72-hour truce during the celebrations marking 80 years since victory in World War Two.

Both Russia and Ukraine accused each other of violating the temporary truce proposals, including the 8-10 May ceasefire.

Despite Putin’s call for peace talks, Russia on Sunday launched a drone attack on Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine, injuring one person in the region surrounding the Ukrainian capital and damaging several private homes, Ukrainian officials said.

Putin said that he does not rule out that during his proposed talks in Turkey, both sides will agree on “some new truces, a new ceasefire,” but one that would be the first step towards a “sustainable” peace.

Vladimir Putin, whose forces have advanced over the past year, has stood firm in his conditions for ending the war despite public and private pressure from Donald Trump and repeated warnings from European powers.

In June 2024, he said that Ukraine must officially drop its Nato ambitions and withdraw its troops from the entirety of the territory of four Ukrainian regions claimed by Russia.

Russian officials have also proposed that the US recognise Russia’s control over about one-fifth of Ukraine and demanded that Ukraine remains neutral though Moscow has said it is not opposed to Kyiv’s ambitions to join the European Union.

Putin casts the war as a watershed moment in Moscow’s relations with the West, which he says humiliated Russia after the Soviet Union fell in 1991 by enlarging Nato and encroaching on what he considers Moscow’s sphere of influence, including Ukraine.

Trump, who says he wants to be remembered as a peacemaker, has repeatedly said he wants to end the “bloodbath” of the Ukraine war which his administration casts as a proxy war between the United States and Russia.

“I will continue to work with both sides to make sure that it happens,” Trump said in his Truth Social post on Sunday. “The USA wants to focus, instead, on Rebuilding and Trade. A BIG week upcoming!”