KYIV — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday welcomed Russia’s offer to resume direct peace talks, but said a full and temporary ceasefire must be in place before any negotiations can begin.
In a post on X, Zelenskyy described Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to begin talks without preconditions as a “positive sign,” calling it something “the entire world has been waiting for... for a very long time.” But he emphasized that “the very first step in truly ending any war is a ceasefire.”
The remarks followed a night of renewed Russian drone attacks across Ukraine, after a self-declared three-day pause expired.
Ukraine’s Air Force said 108 attack and simulator drones were launched from six directions. Of those, 60 drones were shot down, while another 41 simulator drones failed to reach their targets due to Ukrainian countermeasures.
Zelenskyy reiterated Ukraine’s call for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire beginning Monday, May 12. “There is no point in continuing the killing even for a single day. We expect Russia to confirm a ceasefire — full, lasting, and reliable — starting tomorrow, and Ukraine is ready to meet,” he said.
Putin, in late-night comments from Moscow, declined to accept that offer but proposed restarting direct negotiations in Istanbul on May 15 without preconditions. He said a ceasefire could potentially be negotiated during the talks.
Putin’s statement came hours after leaders from France, Germany, the UK, and Poland warned of increased pressure on Moscow if it failed to accept the 30-day ceasefire plan backed by Ukraine and its allies.
Reacting to the developments, U.S. President Donald Trump called it “a potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine” in a social media post.
“I will continue to work with both sides to make sure that it happens. The USA wants to focus, instead, on Rebuilding and Trade. A BIG week upcoming!” he added.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian state TV that Putin’s offer marked a serious and sincere effort to find a peaceful resolution. He said the talks would aim to eliminate the root causes of the conflict while safeguarding Russian national interests. — Agencies
