Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded positively to Russia's proposal to hold direct peace talks, but stressed that a complete ceasefire must be achieved before they begin.
His comments came after Russian President Vladimir Putin effectively rejected the ceasefire initiative, calling instead for direct talks with Ukraine to resume in Istanbul on May 15 “without any preconditions.”
Calling this a “positive signal,” Mr. Zelensky said on TV channel X on Sunday: “The whole world has been waiting for this for a very long time.”
However, he added: “The first step to a real end to any war must be a ceasefire.”
At the same time, on Sunday morning, Russia again began large-scale drone attacks on Ukraine after the end of a declared three-day pause.
On Sunday, the Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia launched 108 attack drones and imitators from six different directions. It said 60 drones were shot down and another 41 imitators failed to reach their targets thanks to Ukrainian countermeasures.
Russia's Defense Ministry has accused Ukraine of “violating” Moscow's three-day ceasefire more than 14,000 times. Ukraine, which did not agree to the May 8-10 ceasefire, has also accused Russia of violating its own ceasefire, with Ukraine's foreign minister calling it a farce.
Mr Zelensky appeared to be sticking to his proposal for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire to begin on Monday, adding in X: “There is no point in continuing the killing for even one day. We expect Russia to confirm a ceasefire – full, lasting and reliable – starting tomorrow, May 12, and Ukraine is ready to meet.”
Speaking to reporters in the Kremlin early on Sunday, Mr Putin proposed “resumption” of peace talks that Russia and Ukraine held in 2022.
“We are committed to serious negotiations with Ukraine,” he noted, adding that he does not rule out the possibility of reaching a ceasefire agreement later, during direct negotiations with Ukraine.
His comments came after the leaders of four major European countries threatened to step up pressure on Mr Putin unless he accepted an unconditional 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine that they offered on Saturday in a show of determined unity with Kiev.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
