Zelenskyy on Putin's negotiation proposal: "Ukraine is ready to meet"

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made his first public statement following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s comments on Friday night, in which he effectively rejected Western demands for a 30-day ceasefire starting Monday. However, Putin proposed direct Russia-Ukraine negotiations next week in Istanbul.

In a message posted on X, Zelenskyy said:

"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.

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, and Ukraine is ready to meet."

On May 10, Putin offered to resume the Istanbul peace talks that were halted in 2022 and said Russia was prepared to begin negotiations on May 15 without any preconditions.