Zelenskyy says Ukraine ready for direct talks with Russia once ceasefire starting Monday confirmed

“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 12th," Zelenskyy said on X on Sunday, adding: "And Ukraine is ready to meet."

“It is a positive sign that the Russians have finally begun to consider ending the war. The entire world has been waiting for this for a very long time. And the very first step in truly ending any war is a ceasefire,” he said.

Later on Telegram, Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine's Presidential Office, clarified that a 30-day ceasefire must first be established for "everything else."

"Russia should not disguise its desire to continue the war under verbal constructions," Yermak said, arguing that a ceasefire is the first step towards ending the conflict, and that Moscow's confirmation of this will affirm its readiness to do so.

Russian authorities have not immediately commented on Zelenskyy’s remarks.

During an overnight news conference in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed the resumption of direct peace negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv in the Turkish metropolis Istanbul starting on Thursday.

Putin further said he has talks scheduled with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan "tomorrow" to ask him to provide such an opportunity to hold negotiations in the country.

Türkiye has played an active role in efforts to reach a settlement in the Russia-Ukraine war, which began in February 2022, including hosting a series of talks in Istanbul that March aimed at finding common ground to end the conflict, now in its fourth year.