KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday welcomed Russia’s supply for direct peace talks however insisted there have to be a full, momentary ceasefire in place earlier than negotiations can begin.
Zelenskyy’s feedback got here just a few hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin successfully rejected a ceasefire supply made a day earlier by Ukraine and its European allies. Putin countered with a proposal to restart direct talks with Ukraine, throughout which a truce may very well be negotiated.
The trade of proposals appeared to go away Kyiv and Moscow deadlocked over the following steps in Washington-led efforts to finish the battle in Ukraine, now in its fourth yr.
Throughout his election marketing campaign, U.S. President Donald Trump had promised to finish the preventing swiftly, however his administration lately indicated it would stroll away from the peace course of if there was no tangible progress.
With out immediately mentioning both proposal, Trump wrote in a social media submit a number of hours after Putin’s peace talks remarks that it was “a potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine!”
“Think of the hundreds of thousands of lives that will be saved as this never ending ‘bloodbath’ hopefully comes to an end,” Trump wrote. “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!”
Allies apply stress
Zelenskyy, writing on X on Sunday, mentioned it was a “positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war” and mentioned that “the entire world has been waiting for this for a very long time.”
He added, nevertheless, that “the very first step in truly ending any war is a ceasefire,” in a reference to his proposal to begin a 30-day unconditional truce Monday.
In remarks to the media in a single day, Putin successfully rejected that provide and proposed restarting direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on Thursday as a substitute “without preconditions.” He mentioned a ceasefire could be agreed on in the course of the negotiations however pressured that the Kremlin wants a truce that will result in a “lasting peace” as a substitute of 1 that will enable Ukraine to rearm and mobilize extra males into its armed forces.
Putin’s counteroffer got here after leaders from 4 main European international locations threatened to ratchet up stress on Moscow if it doesn’t settle for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk met with Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Saturday and issued a coordinated name for the truce beginning Monday. The plan has acquired backing from each the European Union and Trump.
The leaders pledged more durable sanctions on Russia if Putin didn’t settle for the proposal.
