Moscow: In a significant development since the onset of the Ukraine war, Russian President Vladimir Putin has, for the first time, expressed willingness for direct talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Speaking to Russia’s state television, Putin said that Moscow has “always viewed any peace initiative positively. We hope that representatives of the Kyiv regime will feel the same way.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov elaborated on Putin’s remarks, telling Interfax news agency that the president’s comments indicate an openness to engage in direct talks with Ukraine, particularly on the issue of avoiding attacks on civilian infrastructure.
“When the president mentioned that it is possible to discuss non-attacks on civilian targets — including through bilateral discussions — he had negotiations with the Ukrainian side in mind,” said Peskov.
In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky did not address Putin’s comments directly but reiterated Ukraine's readiness for any dialogue that guarantees the safety of civilians.
In his nightly video address, Zelensky stated that Ukraine needs a “clear response from Moscow” on whether it is prepared to agree to a halt in strikes against civilian infrastructure.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, there have been no direct peace talks between the two sides.
Despite these new signals of diplomatic openness, reports of continued fighting emerged Monday night, with drone attacks hitting the Ukrainian port city of Odesa. Local officials reported three injuries, fires, and damage to residential buildings.
This week, Ukraine is expected to participate in talks with the United States and European allies in London. These discussions follow last week's meeting in Paris where Western officials explored pathways to ending the war.
Putin’s offer for direct negotiations comes after both sides accused each other of violating a 30-hour ceasefire declared by Russia over the Easter weekend. Zelensky claimed that Russian forces violated the ceasefire around 3,000 times since Sunday, while Russia blamed Ukraine for launching hundreds of drone and missile attacks — claims that the BBC could not independently verify.
Both Kyiv and Moscow are reportedly facing growing pressure from the United States to return to the negotiating table. President Donald Trump has warned that if meaningful progress toward peace talks is not made, the U.S. may reconsider its involvement in future negotiations.
