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Russia has resumed its brutal aerial assault attack on Ukraine after claiming it ‘strictly observed’ Easter ceasefire
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Russian president Vladimir Putin has for the first time proposed direct peace talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky.
Mr Putin has previously claimed he would only negotiate peace with Ukraine if the country held elections to form a new government, a factor that has frustrated US president Donald Trump’s efforts to broker a quick ceasefire deal.
The new statement from the Russian president came as representatives from Ukraine, the UK, France and the US were set to meet in London on Wednesday to continue talks on a potential ceasefire.
While Mr Zelensky did not directly respond to Mr Putin’s proposal, he emphasised in his nightly video address that Ukraine “was ready for any conversation” that would stop strikes on civilians.
“Actions always speak louder than words,” he posted on X.
Russia has resumed its aerial attacks on Ukraine after a 30-hour Easter truce, declared by Moscow over the weekend, which both sides accused each other of violating. At least three people were killed in a Russian strike in the southern Kherson region on Monday.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio and Donald Trump’s special envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg are likely to meet with their Ukrainian counterparts in London on Wednesday, as part of peace talks alongside European allies.
The meeting comes amid growing impatience from US president Donald Trump to find a quick end to the war between Russia and Ukraine.
The Kremlin has indicated it is “satisfied” with the US’s negotiating position, which includes a ban on Ukraine joining Nato and international recognition of its illegal annexation of Crimea.
Ukraine has yet to approve of or reject those terms, though Volodymyr Zelensky has previously been critical of making such big concessions to Putin’s invading forces.
“We have heard from Washington at various levels that Ukraine’s membership in Nato is excluded,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday.
“Of course, this is something that causes our satisfaction and coincides with our position,” he said.
Volodymyr Zelensky, in his nightly video address, said Ukraine stood by its proposal for an end to attacks on civilian targets and was ready for any form of discussion to achieve it.
Previously, the US and Ukraine had framed this as a 30-day ceasefire.
“Ukraine maintains its proposal not to strike at the very least civilian targets. And we are expecting a clear response from Moscow,” he said.
“We are ready for any conversation about how to achieve this.”
He said the London talks “have a primary task: to push for an unconditional ceasefire. This must be the starting point.”
Mr Zelensky had earlier on Monday said an unconditional ceasefire would be “followed by the establishment of a real and lasting peace”.
Vladimir Putin, speaking to a Russian state TV reporter, said Moscow was open to any peace initiatives and raised the prospect of direct talks with Kyiv for the first time in years.
There have been no direct talks between the two sides since the early weeks after Mr Putin ordered his forces to invade their European neighbour in February 2022.
“We have always talked about this, that we have a positive attitude towards any peace initiatives. We hope that representatives of the Kyiv regime will feel the same way,” Mr Putin told state TV reporter Pavel Zarubin.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, quoted later by Interfax news agency, told reporters: “When the president said that it was possible to discuss the issue of not striking civilian targets, including bilaterally, the president had in mind negotiations and discussions with the Ukrainian side.”
Russia has resumed its attack on Ukraine after a 30-hour Easter ceasefire, which both sides have accused the other of violating.
At least three people were killed and three injured in the aerial strikes in the southern Kherson region on Monday after the temporary truce expired at midnight on Sunday.
Ukrainian forces said that at least 96 drones and three missiles were launched overnight in the country’s central and eastern regions.
Among those killed included a woman who was hit by a drone while walking on the street in Kherson, said former prosecutor general of Ukraine Gyunduz Mamedov.
Four were injured in strikes on Donetsk.
Vladimir Putin’s forces confirmed they were continuing what they dub the “special military operation” and claimed to have “strictly” observed the pause, though Ukraine says attacks on the frontline continued throughout the Easter weekend.
Ukraine will take part in talks with the US, the UK and France on Wednesday in London, Volodymyr Zelensky said.
The discussions are a follow-up to a Paris meeting last week where the US and European states discussed ways to end the more than three-year-old war.
“We are ready to move forward as constructively as possible, just as we have done before, to achieve an unconditional ceasefire, followed by the establishment of a real and lasting peace,” Mr Zelensky posted on X following a call with Sir Keir Starmer.
The meeting comes as Ukraine faces pressure to respond to a controversial US proposal which includes recognising Russia’s annexation of Crimea and barring Ukraine from joining Nato, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
Russian president Vladimir Putin proposed on Monday bilateral talks with Ukraine for the first time since the early days of the war, and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv was eager to discuss a halt to attacks on civilian targets.
While Mr Zelensky did not respond directly to Mr Putin’s proposal, he emphasised in his nightly video address that Ukraine “was ready for any conversation” about a ceasefire that would stop strikes on civilians.
The two leaders face pressure from the United States, which has threatened to walk away from its peace efforts unless some progress is achieved.
Russia and Ukraine have said they are open to further ceasefires after a 30-hour Easter truce declared by Moscow at the weekend. Each side accused the other of violating it.
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Ukraine-Russia war live: Putin changes tune on talks with Zelensky ahead of London peace summit – The Independent
