Putin and Zelensky are open to direct peace talks

Putin and Zelensky

 Promising messages from Putin and Zelensky: "We are open to dialogue"

After Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed holding bilateral talks with Kyiv for the first time since the early days of the war, his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, said Monday evening that Kyiv was looking forward to discussing a halt to attacks on civilian targets.

Zelensky did not respond directly to Putin's proposal, but in his nightly video address, he confirmed that Ukraine was "ready for any dialogue" regarding a ceasefire that would halt attacks on civilians. The two presidents are under pressure from Washington, which has threatened to withdraw from peace efforts unless progress is made.

Russia and Ukraine have expressed their readiness for further ceasefire agreements after a 30-hour truce declared by Moscow over the Easter weekend. Both sides have accused each other of violating the truce.

London Talks

Meanwhile, Zelensky confirmed that Kyiv will send a delegation to London to meet with officials from the United States and Europe on Wednesday. The London talks are a continuation of a meeting held in Paris last week, where the United States and European countries discussed ways to end the war, which has been raging for more than three years.

Putin, speaking to a Russian state television correspondent, said that fighting resumed after the unilateral Easter ceasefire he declared expired on Saturday. He added that Moscow is open to any peace initiatives and that he expects a similar response from Ukraine.

Positive Attitude Towards Peace Initiatives

"We have always spoken about this... that we have a positive attitude towards any peace initiatives. We hope that representatives of the Kyiv regime will feel the same," Putin told state television correspondent Pavel Zarubin.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was later quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying, "When the president said that the issue of not bombing civilian targets could be discussed, including bilaterally, the president meant negotiations and discussions with the Ukrainian side."

There have been no direct talks between the two sides since the first weeks following the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war in February 2022.

Stop Attacks on Civilian Targets

Zelenskyy said in his evening video address, "Ukraine insists on its proposal not to strike any civilian targets. We expect a clear response from Moscow... We are ready for any dialogue on how to achieve this."

The United States and Ukraine had previously spoken about the agreement being a 30-day ceasefire. Zelenskyy noted that the talks in London "have a fundamental task, which is to push for an unconditional ceasefire. This must be the starting point."

Earlier yesterday, Zelenskyy said that an unconditional ceasefire "will be followed by the establishment of a real and lasting peace. He stated that his forces had been instructed to continue responding to Russian military movements.

He explained in a post on Twitter: "Ukraine's actions will remain proportionate: a ceasefire will be met with a ceasefire, and Russian strikes will be met with defensive strikes from our side. Actions always speak louder than words."

Agreement 'This Week'

Both US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Friday that Washington may withdraw from the Ukraine peace talks altogether if the two sides do not make further progress within days.

Trump expressed optimism on Sunday, saying he "hopes" the two sides will reach an agreement "this week." "President Putin and the Russian side remain open to seeking a peaceful settlement," Peskov told reporters. "We continue to work with the US side, and we certainly hope this work will yield results."