ROME, May 11. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent proposal to hold talks with Ukraine in Istanbul shows his distrust of Europe, the Corriere della Sera newspaper reported, noting that it came amid a call for a 30-day ceasefire by a "coalition of the willing."
The newspaper emphasized that the Russian leader's latest words were an obvious move against Kiev's European partners. "Russia does not trust Europe. It asks for a meeting on a neutral field, which is Turkey, and wants to rely on the United States," the article said.
Speaking to reporters in the Kremlin in the early morning hours of May 11, the Russian head of state proposed to the Kiev authorities to resume direct talks without preconditions. It is proposed to start the dialogue on May 15 in Istanbul.