Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that Moscow is open to bilateral peace talks with Ukraine for the first time in years and expressed willingness to pursue more ceasefires, following a brief one-day Easter truce that both sides accused each other of violating.
The Russian leader’s remarks come amid growing pressure from Washington to demonstrate a concrete commitment to peace. “We are open to any peace initiatives and expect the same from Kyiv,” Putin said during an interview with Russian state television, signaling a potential diplomatic shift.
In a statement interpreted by many as a nod to future negotiations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov clarified that Putin’s reference to avoiding civilian targets “had in mind negotiations and discussions with the Ukrainian side,” reports Reuters.
Putin’s 30-hour unilateral Easter ceasefire, which took effect Saturday, was quickly followed by accusations from both sides of violations. While Ukraine largely dismissed the truce as a public relations stunt, Washington welcomed the idea and called for an extension.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who did not directly address Putin’s comments on talks, instead emphasized a measured military approach. “The nature of Ukraine’s actions will remain symmetrical: ceasefire will be met with ceasefire, and Russian strikes will be met with our own in defence,” he said on X.
Kyiv has confirmed a high-level delegation will travel to London this Wednesday to meet with US and European counterparts as part of ongoing efforts to negotiate a roadmap for ending the conflict. The London discussions follow a similar summit held in Paris last week.
US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday warned that time is running out for meaningful progress. Trump, however, struck a more optimistic tone on Sunday, saying, “Hopefully the two sides would make a deal this week.”
(With inputs from Reuters)
