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Germany has given Russia until the end of the day on May 12 to accept a proposed ceasefire in Ukraine or else face the threat of new sanctions, government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius said during a briefing that was cited by Tagesschau.
“The clock is ticking — we still have 12 hours until the end of this day,” Kornelius stated, noting that Berlin is closely coordinating with European partners to prepare additional punitive measures should Moscow reject the truce.
The ultimatum follows Russia’s refusal to accept a 30-day unconditional ceasefire beginning today — a proposal put forward last week by Ukraine and several of its European allies during high-level talks in Kyiv.
The demand for the ceasefire was the main outcome of discussions between leaders of Ukraine, France, Germany, the UK, and Poland, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reacted to Kornelius’s remarks, calling them “unacceptable.”
“This kind of ultimatum language is unacceptable for Russia, it’s not appropriate. You cannot talk to Russia in this language,” he told Russian journalists earlier today.
Despite the international appeals, Russia launched a new wave of attacks across Ukraine over the past 24 hours. At least 22 people were injured, including seven in overnight drone strikes on May 12 — the very day the ceasefire was intended to begin.
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha tweeted that “Russians are completely ignoring the offer of a full and durable ceasefire starting on May 12. They continue to attack Ukrainian positions all along the frontline. Moscow squanders another opportunity to put an end to the killings. This once again demonstrates that Russia's only goal is to prolong the war.”
The Kremlin has rejected the idea of implementing an unconditional ceasefire prior to the start of talks. At a late night press conference held during the early hours of May 11, Vladimir Putin reiterated his offer to resume peace talks with Ukraine. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov later clarified that Moscow seeks negotiations based on the framework of the 2022 Istanbul talks while taking into account what Russia calls the “current situation on the battlefield.”
Moscow’s proposal appears to have the backing of U.S. President Trump.
“President Putin of Russia doesn’t want to have a Cease Fire Agreement with Ukraine, but rather wants to meet on Thursday, in Turkey, to negotiate a possible end to the BLOODBATH. Ukraine should agree to this, IMMEDIATELY,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Zelensky, for his part, has reaffirmed Ukraine’s readiness to engage with the Kremlin directly. He announced a willingness to meet Putin in Turkey on Thursday, May 15, and reiterated Kyiv’s call for a full, unconditional ceasefire starting on Monday, May 12. As of now, the Kremlin has not responded to the invitation for a face-to-face meeting between the two leaders.
“I will be waiting for Putin in Türkiye on Thursday. Personally. I hope that this time the Russians will not look for excuses,” Zelensky wrote as part of a post on X on Sunday.
In a press conference earlier today, President Trump suggested that he could join the Thursday meeting “if I think things can happen.” Trump also suggested that there is “the potential for a good meeting.”
“You may have a good result out of the Thursday meeting in Turkey…and I believe the two leaders are going to be there. I was thinking about flying over. I don’t know where I am going to be on Thursday, I’ve got so many meetings,” Trump was quoted by The Guardian as saying.