Russia says signal for start of direct peace talks should come from Ukraine

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said connected Monday it was waiting for a awesome from Ukraine regarding Kyiv's willingness to clasp nonstop negotiations to extremity the war, but said it did not truthful acold spot immoderate signs of movement.

The Kremlin said past Friday that the anticipation of nonstop talks betwixt the 2 sides had been raised during a three-hour gathering betwixt President Vladimir Putin and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.

Moscow and Kyiv person not held nonstop negotiations since March 2022, successful the aboriginal weeks pursuing the commencement of Russia's full-scale warfare successful Ukraine. Later that year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy adopted a decree that ruled retired negotiations with Putin, aft Russia claimed 4 regions of Ukraine arsenic its ain territory.

Zelenskiy, who met U.S. President Donald Trump connected the sidelines of Pope Francis' ceremonial connected Saturday, has said Kyiv would beryllium acceptable to clasp talks with Moscow erstwhile a ceasefire woody is successful spot and the warring has stopped.

Asked by a newsman if the awesome for nonstop talks should travel from Ukraine oregon the United States, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said: "Well, from Kyiv, astatine slightest Kyiv should instrumentality immoderate actions successful this regard. They person a ineligible prohibition connected this. But truthful acold we don't spot immoderate action."

The 2 sides are nether aggravated unit from the United States to find a colony to the extremity the war, the deadliest successful Europe since World War Two.

Ukraine accuses Russia of playing for clip successful bid to effort to prehend much of its territory, and has urged greater planetary unit connected Moscow to get it to halt fighting.

Russia accuses Ukraine of being unwilling to marque immoderate concessions and of seeking a ceasefire lone connected its ain terms.

Putin told Witkoff connected Friday that Russia was acceptable for talks with Kyiv without preconditions, according to a Kremlin aide.

Trump said connected Friday that the 2 sides were "very adjacent to a deal". In caller days helium has been much captious than accustomed of Moscow, saying determination was nary crushed for it to occurrence missiles into civilian areas and voicing interest that Putin was "just tapping maine along".

(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Lucy Papachristou and Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Andrew Osborn)