This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . The next check for changes will be
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crmk2y7lrpeo
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Ukraine: What Trump does next is key - and he could go either way | Ukraine: What Trump does next is key - and he could go either way |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Volodymyr Zelensky has given a cautious and diplomatic response to Vladimir Putin's late-night offer of direct talks in Istanbul next Thursday. | Volodymyr Zelensky has given a cautious and diplomatic response to Vladimir Putin's late-night offer of direct talks in Istanbul next Thursday. |
| The Ukrainian leader might have been expected to slam his opposite number in Moscow for not committing to a 30-day ceasefire, as demanded by Kyiv and its Western allies on Saturday. | The Ukrainian leader might have been expected to slam his opposite number in Moscow for not committing to a 30-day ceasefire, as demanded by Kyiv and its Western allies on Saturday. |
| Instead, writing on X, Zelensky called it "a positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war". | Instead, writing on X, Zelensky called it "a positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war". |
| Zelensky added that Ukraine expected Russia to confirm it would abide by the proposed 30-day ceasefire, starting on Monday. | Zelensky added that Ukraine expected Russia to confirm it would abide by the proposed 30-day ceasefire, starting on Monday. |
| It's hard to tell if Zelensky really sees Putin's offer of direct talks as a "positive sign". This is as much about optics as anything else. | It's hard to tell if Zelensky really sees Putin's offer of direct talks as a "positive sign". This is as much about optics as anything else. |
| Neither Putin nor Zelensky want to be seen by US President Donald Trump as the obstacle to peace. | Neither Putin nor Zelensky want to be seen by US President Donald Trump as the obstacle to peace. |
| Trump's reaction was markedly upbeat. Writing on his Truth Social platform earlier, he hinted once again that this war was close to ending. He wrote: "A potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine!" | Trump's reaction was markedly upbeat. Writing on his Truth Social platform earlier, he hinted once again that this war was close to ending. He wrote: "A potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine!" |
| Putin said he wants to address what he calls "the root causes of the conflict". | Putin said he wants to address what he calls "the root causes of the conflict". |
| Live updates on this story | |
| Steve Rosenberg: Is Putin's offer of talks designed to divide West? | |
| UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was among the European leaders to visit Kyiv on Saturday | UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was among the European leaders to visit Kyiv on Saturday |
| From his perspective, that means Ukraine's unacceptable ambition to be part of a prosperous, democratic Europe rather than returning to Moscow's orbit and become a pliant, satellite nation like Belarus. | From his perspective, that means Ukraine's unacceptable ambition to be part of a prosperous, democratic Europe rather than returning to Moscow's orbit and become a pliant, satellite nation like Belarus. |
| He will also want a firm undertaking that Ukraine will never join Nato. | He will also want a firm undertaking that Ukraine will never join Nato. |
| Moscow demanded on Saturday that, before any ceasefire can start, the West must stop arming Ukraine. | Moscow demanded on Saturday that, before any ceasefire can start, the West must stop arming Ukraine. |
| That of course would leave this country that much less able to fend off Russia's gradual advances on the frontline - or, worse, a new full-scale offensive to take more land. | That of course would leave this country that much less able to fend off Russia's gradual advances on the frontline - or, worse, a new full-scale offensive to take more land. |
| What Ukraine badly needs from its allies is an uninterrupted flow of air defences to fend off the ever-growing numbers of drones and missiles being fired across the common border at Kyiv and other major cities. | What Ukraine badly needs from its allies is an uninterrupted flow of air defences to fend off the ever-growing numbers of drones and missiles being fired across the common border at Kyiv and other major cities. |
| Shortly after dawn on Sunday, we were woken by an air raid alert and sirens went off as more Russian drones were launched. | Shortly after dawn on Sunday, we were woken by an air raid alert and sirens went off as more Russian drones were launched. |
| On 9 May, the US Embassy in Kyiv issued a warning to its citizens that there was "a significant risk of air raids in the coming days". | On 9 May, the US Embassy in Kyiv issued a warning to its citizens that there was "a significant risk of air raids in the coming days". |
| One of the biggest concerns is that the Kremlin may launch another Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile like the one its forces fired at a factory in Dnipro last November. | One of the biggest concerns is that the Kremlin may launch another Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile like the one its forces fired at a factory in Dnipro last November. |
| With its velocity approaching 10 times the speed of sound, Russia boasts that this missile is "unstoppable". | With its velocity approaching 10 times the speed of sound, Russia boasts that this missile is "unstoppable". |
| So now the key question is what Trump does next - and this could go either way. | So now the key question is what Trump does next - and this could go either way. |
| He could decide that his opposite number in Moscow is simply stringing him along, finding one excuse after another not to agree to a ceasefire. | He could decide that his opposite number in Moscow is simply stringing him along, finding one excuse after another not to agree to a ceasefire. |
| Or, given his historic warm relations with Putin, will he throw the Russian leader a diplomatic lifeline and put pressure on Ukraine instead to sit down in Istanbul and listen to Moscow's demands, irrespective of whether there is a ceasefire come Monday? | Or, given his historic warm relations with Putin, will he throw the Russian leader a diplomatic lifeline and put pressure on Ukraine instead to sit down in Istanbul and listen to Moscow's demands, irrespective of whether there is a ceasefire come Monday? |