Ukraine says Kyiv will speak to Russia once a ceasefire is okayed

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has embraced the proposition from Russia for direct peace talks as a “positive sign” but cautioned that he will only accept peace talks if Moscow agrees to a 30-day ceasefire first.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin announced he was willing to engage in direct discussions with Ukraine in Istanbul the following Thursday “without any preconditions” Politico reported on May 11th.

Zelensky wrote on X on the morning of May 11th: “The entire world has been waiting for this for a very long time.”

He said that “[t]he very first step in truly ending any war is a ceasefire,” the BBC reported on May 11th. Putin put forward the idea of direct discussions with Ukraine for the first time since the initial aftermath of the Russia’ invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

“It was not Russia that broke off negotiations in 2022. It was Kyiv.” Putin said. US President Donald Trump has welcomed the advances in dialogue between the two countries as a “potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine,” claiming it may cause “hundreds of thousands of lives that will be saved.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told Putin in a telephone call that he is prepared to welcome the peace negotiations according to a statements released by the Turkish government and the Russian foreign ministry.

Putin’s comments arise after the leaders of Germany, France, Poland and the UK- with US support- have ramped up their weight on Russia, warning of more restrictions on Russia if the country does not show it prepared to finish the conflict.

They threw their support behind an unrestricted 30-day ceasefire from May 12th after they travelled to Kyiv on May 10th. Zelensky said in a post on X, “We expect Russia to confirm a ceasefire — full, lasting, and reliable — starting tomorrow, May 12th, and Ukraine is ready to meet.” France and Germany mirrored the sentiment in different posts on X. French President Emmanuel Macron wrote in his post:“There can be no dialogue if at the same time civilians are being bombed.”

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on X. “We expect Moscow to now agree to a ceasefire. This is essential before beginning a genuine dialogue.”  He added: “Talks cannot begin until the weapons fall silent.”

Putin has not agreed to the ceasefire or retreated back from the Kremlin’s demands for Ukraine to be neutral and Russia to claim control over the territory in Ukraine, it has seized.

Politico