The Ukrainian leader wants a full ceasefire to precede direct negotiations with Moscow

Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky has responded to Russian President Vladimir Putin's proposal for direct peace talks by reiterating his demand that any engagement must be preceded by a comprehensive ceasefire. Moscow, however, has said the settlement process must begin with talks, possibly followed by a ceasefire - not the other way around.

On Sunday, Putin proposed resuming direct negotiations with Ukraine on May 15 in Istanbul, Türkiye "without any preconditions." He noted that Russia has never refused dialogue and expressed hope that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would facilitate the meeting.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described Putin's proposal as "a serious offer" aimed at achieving a lasting peace through meaningful negotiations.

Responding to the offer, Zelensky took to Telegram, saying: "It is a good sign that the Russians are finally thinking about ending the war. Everyone in the world has been waiting for this for a long time. And the very first step in actually ending any war is a ceasefire."

"We expect Russia to confirm a ceasefire - full, lasting, and reliable - starting tomorrow, May 12, and Ukraine is ready to meet," he added.

Andrey Yermak, the head of Zelensky's office, echoed his remarks, stating, "First, a 30-day ceasefire, then everything else. Russia must not mask the desire to continue the war under verbal constructions."

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova slammed Kiev's response, saying: "Judging by the reaction... they didn't read the transcript of the Russian president's statement very carefully, nor the hundreds of comments from global political figures and media publications supporting it."

Putin's proposal is "absolutely clear," Zakharova stressed. "First, negotiations about the root causes [of the conflict], and then we can talk about a ceasefire."

This came after leaders from France, Germany, Poland, the UK, and EU proposed a "full and unconditional" 30-day ceasefire, arguing that this would "create room for diplomacy," while noting that the US has expressed support for the initiative.

According to Peskov, Putin supports the idea of a ceasefire "in general," but "there are lots of questions" that remain unresolved. Moscow previously expressed concern that a halt in the fighting would allow Kiev to regroup its battered troops. It has also insisted that all Western arms shipments to Ukraine must be suspended for the duration of the ceasefire.

(RT.com)