Putin open to direct peace talks on war

RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin proposed this week bilateral talks with Ukraine for the first time since the early days of the war, and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Kyiv was eager to discuss a halt to attacks on civilian targets.

- 

While Zelenskiy did not respond directly to Putin’s proposal, he emphasized in his nightly video address that Ukraine “was ready for any conversation” about a ceasefire that would stop strikes on civilians.

The two leaders face pressure from the US, which has threatened to walk away from its peace efforts unless some progress is achieved. Russia and Ukraine have said they are open to further ceasefires after a 30-hour Easter truce declared by Moscow at the weekend. Each side accused the other of violating it. Ukraine will take part in talks with the US and European countries today in London, Zelenskiy said. The discussions are a follow-up to a Paris meeting last week where the US and European states discussed ways to end the more than three-year-old war.