Macron said the call to Russia for a ceasefire is valid until the end of May 12.

The call for a 30-day, complete and unconditional ceasefire on Russia will remain in effect until the evening of May 12, after which sanctions will be imposed if the ceasefire is refused , French President Emmanuel Macron said.

"Now we all have to be reasonable. Either Russia is serious and wants peace, or it's not serious and we need to impose more sanctions. <...> We've set the framework. Everything is clear," he said ( quoted by France Info).

Macron added that he intends to speak again with his European colleagues and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on May 12.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, in turn, called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to personally attend direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15. "Vladimir Putin proposed direct contact with [Ukrainian President] Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The latter agreed, so now Vladimir Putin must fulfill his part of the contract. He is scheduled to appear in Istanbul on Thursday," the minister stated (quoted by BFM TV).

On May 10, the leaders of France, Germany, Poland, and the United Kingdom held talks in Kyiv, following which they issued a joint statement with Zelenskyy. It called on Russia to "a complete and unconditional ceasefire for at least 30 days, beginning Monday, May 12." It was noted that this meant a comprehensive ceasefire—in the air, at sea, and on land.

If Russia refused, they threatened to impose more severe sanctions on its banking and energy sectors. This call was also supported by US President Donald Trump , whom Macron called during the meeting, Politico reported. The American president also suggested he would attend the meeting between Moscow and Kyiv representatives "if he deems it useful."

The Kremlin stated that Moscow is committed to “a serious search for ways to achieve a long-term peaceful settlement” in Ukraine , but that it cannot be spoken to “in the language of ultimatums.”

From May 8 to 11, a ceasefire declared by Russia was in effect, which it called on Kyiv to join. Zelenskyy rejected the initiative, proposing a 30-day ceasefire instead. Moscow noted that it generally supported this idea, but there were "nuances" that prevented it, particularly the question of how Ukraine would utilize the long-term ceasefire . The Foreign Ministry noted repeated ceasefire violations by Kyiv. The Kremlin emphasized that if a ceasefire were to be established, the US and Europe would halt arms supplies to Ukraine. 

Speaking to reporters after the ceasefire ended on the night of May 11, Putin announced Moscow's readiness to resume direct talks with Kyiv without preconditions in Istanbul on May 15. Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said Moscow would send a delegation to Istanbul, but did not specify its composition.

Zelensky promised to wait for Putin there "personally." Kyiv, however, insists on a ceasefire to begin negotiations, although Axios reported that the Ukrainian president would arrive in Istanbul without such an agreement.

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