Putin's proposal for direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15 dominated the news cycle, following yesterday's ceasefire ultimatum from Merz, Macron and Starmer. By mid-day, Merz dismissed the proposal as "by far not enough," while Selenskyj insisted on a ceasefire. The story evolved dramatically by evening when Selenskyj announced he would "wait for Putin" in Turkey on Thursday.
Domestic politics saw SPD chair Saskia Esken announcing she would not seek reelection, while controversy erupted over Bundestagspräsidentin Bas's proposal to include civil servants in the public pension system, with the Union calling it "populist nonsense."
Other stories included Pope Leo XIV criticizing Putin over Ukrainian child abductions, Trump urging Ukraine to accept Russia's proposal, and Jan Böhmermann controversially revealing a right-wing YouTuber's identity. Border controls began rejecting asylum seekers under Dobrindt's new decree, fulfilling Merz's campaign promise.