New Delhi, May 11 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed restarting direct talks with Ukraine "without preconditions" in Istanbul on May 15, Thursday. This renewed offer came in response to Ukraine and its allies urging Moscow to commit to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire or face additional sanctions.

Referring to the unsuccessful 2022 peace talks in Istanbul in March, Putin proposed "restarting" them without preconditions on Sunday.

In remarks to reporters, Putin said, "We are committed to serious negotiations with Ukraine." He added that he doesn't rule out agreeing to a ceasefire later, in the course of direct talks with Ukraine.

Putin said that Russia proposed several ceasefires in recent months - a halt on strikes on en...