Vladimir Putin will “think through” a Western proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, after Britain, the US and European allies threatened to send more weapons to Kyiv if Russia did not comply by Monday.

The ultimatum was made after a meeting in Kyiv, where the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Poland, together with Volodymyr Zelensky, spoke on the phone with Donald Trump, the US president.

In response, the Russian President proposed “direct negotiations” with Ukraine at a meeting in Istanbul on Thursday. 

“It was not Russia that broke off negotiations in 2022,” Putin said, blaming Kyiv. 

“Nevertheless, we are proposing that Kyiv resume direct negotiations without any preconditions.

“Let me remind you that as a result of these negotiations, a joint draft document was prepared, and it was initialled by the head of the Kyiv negotiating group, but at the insistence of the West, it was thrown into the trash.”

Sir Keir Starmer told the Russian president that there should be “no more ifs and buts” and that he must agree to a truce or face further sanctions on its energy and banking sectors.

“All of us here, together with the US, are calling Putin out. If he’s serious about peace, then he has a chance to show it now,” Sir Keir said at a press conference.

The Kremlin then agreed to “think through” the proposal, without committing to sign anything.

“We have to think this through. It is a new development,” Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin press secretary, said. “But trying to pressure us is quite useless.”

Moscow’s unilateral three-day ceasefire declared for the 80th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany was due to expire on Saturday night.

The Russian president insisted that during the ceasefire “Kyiv has made five attempts to attack the Russian border”.

“Russia has repeatedly made ceasefire initiatives,” Putin said. 

“Kyiv authorities have not responded to any of our ceasefire proposals.”

Show of unity in Ukraine

The unprecedented visit to Kyiv was the first time the leaders of the four European nations had made a joint trip to Ukraine.

Sir Keir, together with Emmanuel Macron, the French president, Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, Donald Tusk, the Polish prime minister, and Mr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, also held a videoconference with around 20 member countries of the “coalition of the willing” supporting Ukraine.

Afterwards, Sir Keir said: “So we are clear, all five leaders here – all the leaders of the meeting we just had with the coalition of the willing – an unconditional ceasefire, rejecting Putin’s conditions, and clear that if he turns his back on peace, we will respond.

“Working with president Trump, with all our partners, we will ramp up sanctions and increase our military aid for Ukraine’s defence to pressure Russia back to the table.

“No more ifs and buts. No more conditions and delays. Putin didn’t need conditions when he wanted a ceasefire to have a parade. And he doesn’t need them now.

“Ukraine has shown their willingness to engage again and again. But again and again, Putin has refused.”