Putin says Russia ready for ‘direct talks’ with Ukraine as US and European leaders press ...

CNN — Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed holding “direct talks” with Ukraine on Thursday in Istanbul, as European leaders and the United States attempt to push Moscow to agree to a 30-day ceasefire to bring an end to the three-year conflict. “We would like to start immediately, already next Thursday, May 15, in Istanbul, where they were held before and where they were interrupted,” Putin said in a rare late-night televised address. He emphasized the talks