Zelenskyy welcomes Putin’s talk of peace but says ceasefire must come first

Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a ceasefire must be agreed before peace talks can begin. Picture: Petr David Josek/AP

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he is pleased to see Russia is finally engaging with finding an end to the war, but insisted there must be a ceasefire before peace talks can start.

He was speaking after Russian leader Vladimir Putin effectively rejected a ceasefire proposal but instead called for the resumption of direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15, “without preconditions”.

Calling it a “positive sign”, Mr Zelenskyy said on X on Sunday: “The entire world has been waiting for this for a very long time. The very first step in truly ending any war is a ceasefire.

“There is no point in continuing the killing even for a single day. We expect Russia to confirm a ceasefire – full, lasting, and reliable – starting tomorrow, May 12, and Ukraine is ready to meet.”

Speaking to reporters in the Kremlin in the early hours of Sunday, Mr Putin proposed to “restart” peace talks Russia and Ukraine held in 2022.

“We are committed to serious negotiations with Ukraine,” he said, adding he does not rule out agreeing to a ceasefire later, in the course of direct talks with Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer tour the streets of Kyiv, Ukraine, after they attended a meeting of the so-called “coalition of the willing” at the Presidential Palac

His remarks came after leaders from four major European countries threatened to ratchet up pressure on Mr Putin if he does not accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine that they offered on Saturday in a strong show of unity with Kyiv.

The leaders of France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Poland said their proposal for a ceasefire to start on Monday was supported by US President Donald Trump, whom they had briefed over the phone earlier in the day.

Mr Putin on Sunday once again said the Kremlin needs a truce that would lead to a “lasting peace” instead of one that would allow Ukraine to rearm and mobilise more men into its armed forces.

He said he would speak to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and ask him to facilitate the peace talks on May 15, saying “those who truly want peace cannot but support” his proposal to restart the peace talks.

Mr Putin did not directly address this latest ceasefire proposal, but Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Saturday told CNN Moscow will need to consider the proposal.

Earlier that day, Mr Peskov reiterated Russia’s claim that it was ready for peace talks with Ukraine “without preconditions” and accused Kyiv of blocking those.