KIEV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday expressed willingness to hold discussions with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, to end the ongoing conflict between the two nations.
This statement came shortly after US President Donald Trump called on Ukraine to immediately agree to the negotiations proposed by Russian President Putin, which could take place in Turkey on May 15.
"Here in Ukraine, we have absolutely no problem engaging in negotiations, we are ready for any format. I will be in Turkey this Thursday, May 15, and I expect Putin to come to Turkey as well. Personally. And I hope that this time, Putin won't be looking for excuses as to why he "can't" make it. We are ready to talk, to end this war. President Trump has expressed support. All the leaders support this, " Zelensky posted on X.
Earlier on Sunday, addressing reporters in the Kremlin, Putin proposed to the Kyiv authorities to resume direct talks without preconditions that Ukraine had interrupted in 2022.
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said President Putin's proposal to hold direct talks with the Kyiv authorities confirms a real intention to find a peaceful solution to the Ukrainian crisis.
"This is a very serious proposal, which confirms the real intention to find a peaceful solution, " he said during a broadcast on the Russian TV channel, commenting on Putin's initiative.
"A lasting peace can be achieved only through serious negotiations, and the readiness for these negotiations has now been shown and demonstrated by the (Russian) President, " the spokesman emphasised.
Last month, Putin declared a ceasefire on humanitarian grounds between midnight May 8 and midnight May 11 on account of the Victory Day celebrations.
Zelensky then rejected the ceasefire proposal, demanding a longer pause in fighting on his own terms and making threats against Victory Day celebrations in Moscow, Russian state-run news agency TASS reported.
Putin on Sunday stated that Russia did not rule out the possibility of extending the three-day Victory Day ceasefire in May depending on the Kyiv government's reaction.
"On this holy day for us, we declared a ceasefire for the third time. We told our colleagues in the West that we do not rule out the possibility of extending it. But, of course, this would have been done after we had analysed what happened over these three days, depending on how the Kyiv regime reacts to this, " the Russian leader said, speaking to reporters in the Kremlin.