Putin says he's open to direct peace talks with Ukraine as Trump grows impatient

MOSCOW − Russian President Vladimir Putin projected bilateral talks with Ukraine for the archetypal clip successful years, and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv was prepared for immoderate treatment to halt attacks connected civilian targets.

Putin and Zelenskyy look unit from the U.S., which has threatened to locomotion distant from its bid efforts unless immoderate advancement is achieved.

Russia and Ukraine person said they are unfastened to further ceasefires aft a 30-hour Easter truce declared by Moscow astatine the weekend. Each broadside accused the different of violating it.

More: Trump could wantonness bid negotiations successful Russia's warfare connected Ukraine

Talks are scheduled this week successful London. Ukraine said connected Monday it was sending a delegation to conscionable officials from the United States and European countries. The talks are a follow-up to a Paris gathering past week wherever the U.S. and European states discussed ways to extremity the much than three-year-old war.

Putin, speaking to a Russian authorities TV newsman connected April 21, said warring had resumed aft the Easter ceasefire, which helium announced unilaterally connected Saturday. And Moscow, helium said, was unfastened to immoderate bid initiatives and expected the aforesaid from Kyiv.

"We person ever talked astir this, that we person a affirmative cognition towards immoderate bid initiatives. We anticipation that representatives of the Kyiv authorities volition consciousness the aforesaid way," Putin told authorities TV newsman Pavel Zarubin.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, quoted aboriginal by Interfax quality agency, told reporters: "When the president said that it was imaginable to sermon the contented of not striking civilian targets, including bilaterally, the president had successful caput negotiations and discussions with the Ukrainian side."

There person been nary nonstop talks betwixt the 2 sides since the aboriginal weeks aft Russia's February 2022 invasion.

Attacks connected civilian targets

Zelenskyy, successful his nightly video address, said Ukraine stood by its connection for an extremity to attacks connected civilian targets and was acceptable for immoderate signifier of treatment to execute it. Previously, the U.S. and Ukraine had framed this arsenic a 30-day ceasefire.

"Ukraine maintains its connection not to onslaught astatine the precise slightest civilian targets. And we are expecting a wide effect from Moscow," helium said. "We are acceptable for immoderate speech astir however to execute this."

He said the London talks "have a superior task: to propulsion for an unconditional ceasefire. This indispensable beryllium the starting point."

Zelenskyy had earlier connected Monday said an unconditional ceasefire would beryllium "followed by the constitution of a existent and lasting peace."

Washington has said it would invited an hold of the play truce. Zelenskyy said continued Russian attacks during the little Easter ceasefire showed Moscow was intent connected prolonging the war.

Zelenskyy besides said Ukraine's forces were instructed to proceed to reflector the Russian army's actions.

"The quality of Ukraine's actions volition stay symmetrical: ceasefire volition beryllium met with ceasefire, and Russian strikes volition beryllium met with our ain successful defence. Actions ever talk louder than words," helium said connected X.

Russian demands

U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio some said connected Friday that Washington could locomotion distant from bid talks altogether if the sides bash not marque much advancement wrong days. Trump struck a much optimistic enactment Sunday, saying that "hopefully" the 2 sides would marque a woody "this week."

Russia's demands including Ukraine ceding each the onshore Putin claims to person annexed and judge imperishable neutrality. Ukraine says that would magnitude to surrender and permission it undefended if Moscow attacks again.

"President Putin and the Russian broadside stay unfastened to seeking a peaceful settlement. We are continuing to enactment with the American broadside and, of course, we anticipation that this enactment volition output results," Peskov told reporters.

This nonfiction primitively appeared connected USA TODAY: Putin says he's acceptable for nonstop talks with Ukraine