Putin offers Russia to be open to direct conversations with Kyiv

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signaled that he was open to bilateral conversations with Ukrainian leader Volodimir Zelenski for the first time from the early stages of the war.

Speaking to Russian state television on Monday, Putin said Russia “always looked positively at any peace initiative. We hope that the representatives of the Kiev regime will feel the same way.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin’s comments show a willingness to get involved in direct conversations with Ukraine that they did not strike civilian goals.

Zelenski did not respond directly to Putin’s comments, but said Ukraine was “ready for any conversation” that would guarantee the safety of civilians.

It has not been talked to both sides since February 2022, when Russia started its full -scale invasion of Ukraine.

In comments on the Interfax news agency Peskov said: “When the president said it was possible to discuss the question that they did not affect civil goals, including bilaterally, the president had referring to negotiations and discussions with the Ukrainian side.”

In his nightly video, Zeozoski said Ukraine needed a “clear answer from Moscow” whether he would agree to stop the attacks on civil infrastructure.

In the meantime, the battles continued overnight with messages of drones in the port city of Odessa.

Local authorities said three people were injured in the attack, with fires erupting and damage to residential buildings.

Ukraine is planned to participate in conversations with us and European countries this week in London after a meeting in Paris last week, where leaders discussed the roads to end the war.

Putin’s proposal for direct conversations comes after both parties have accused each other of violating a 30-hour “Easter truce”, declared by Putin on Saturday, which has already expired.

Zelenski said Russian troops have violated the cessation of fire nearly 3000 times since the beginning of Sunday, while Russia has accused Ukraine of launching hundreds of drones and shells. The BBC has not confirmed these claims independently.

Both countries face increasing pressure from the United States where Donald Trump has threatened “Get a Pass” at more peace negotiations If progress is not made.