KYIV, Ukraine (AP) 鈥 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday welcomed Russia鈥檚 offer for direct peace talks, but insisted there must be a full, temporary ceasefire in place before negotiations can start.
Zelenskyy, writing on X, called Russian President Vladimir Putin's counter-offer to start talks without a ceasefire a 鈥減ositive sign,鈥 and said that 鈥渢he entire world has been waiting for this for a very long time."
He added, however, that "the very first step in truly ending any war is a ceasefire.鈥
Meanwhile, Russia resumed mass drone attacks in Ukraine early on Sunday, after its self-declared 3-day pause expired.
Russia launched 108 attack drones and simulator drones from six different directions, Ukraine鈥檚 Air Force said on Sunday. It said 60 drones were shot down and another 41 simulator drones failed to reach targets due to Ukrainian countermeasures.
The Ukrainian president appeared to insist on his proposal to start a 30-day unconditional ceasefire on Monday. 鈥淭here is no point in continuing the killing even for a single day. We expect Russia to confirm a ceasefire 鈥 full, lasting, and reliable 鈥 starting tomorrow, May 12th, and Ukraine is ready to meet,鈥 Zelenskyy said.
Putin in remarks to the media overnight effectively rejected that ceasefire offer and proposed in Istanbul on Thursday instead 鈥渨ithout preconditions.鈥 He said a ceasefire might be agreed on during the negotiations.
Putin's counteroffer came after leaders from four major European countries threatened to Moscow if it does not accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine that they offered on Saturday in a strong show of unity with Kyiv.
In a social media post several hours after Putin鈥檚 remarks, U.S. President Donald Trump said it was 鈥渁 potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine!鈥
鈥淚 will continue to work with both sides to make sure that it happens. The USA wants to focus, instead, on Rebuilding and Trade. A BIG week upcoming!鈥 he added.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in comments aired by Russian state TV on Sunday, called Putin鈥檚 proposal 鈥渧ery serious鈥 and said it 鈥渃onfirms a real intention for find a peaceful solution.鈥
鈥淭he goals of the talks are clear: to eliminate the root causes of the conflict. And also to ensure the interests of the Russian Federation,鈥 Peskov said.
