Putin's offer of talks shows real desire for peace — Kremlin

MOSCOW, May 11. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin's proposal to hold direct talks with the Kiev authorities confirms a real intention to find a peaceful solution to the Ukrainian crisis, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"This is a very serious proposal, which confirms the real intention to find a peaceful solution," he said during a Channel One TV broadcast, commenting on the president's initiative.

"A lasting peace can be achieved only through serious negotiations, and the readiness for these negotiations has now been shown and demonstrated by the [Russian] president," the spokesman emphasized.

Earlier, Putin proposed to the Kiev authorities to resume without preconditions the direct talks they had interrupted at the end of 2022. He voiced the corresponding initiative to reporters in the Kremlin. It is proposed to start the talks on May 15 in Istanbul.