Russia’s most recent ceasefire proposal was rejected by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday, who referred to it as “an ultimatum” and reiterated his demand for direct negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Zelenskyy said that the peace negotiations in Istanbul on Monday, which were facilitated by Russian presidential assistant Vladimir Medinsky and Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, amounted to “a political performance” and that no genuine progress had been made towards a ceasefire.
There are still significant gaps between the two parties’ formal ceasefire offers and their visions for a peace agreement. Zelenskyy said the Kremlin’s proposal included demands that Kyiv and its Western partners have previously rejected, accusing Moscow of exploiting the discussions to buy time.
The talks had “the same content and spirit” as the unsuccessful consultations that took place in the Turkish city in the early days of Russia’s full-scale invasion, according to the Ukrainian leader.
Zelenskyy stated he wants a truce with Russia before a possible meeting with Putin, which may include US President Donald Trump, and that he sees little use in maintaining the present structure of discussions.
According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine is prepared to begin negotiations as early as next Monday in any location, such as Istanbul, the Vatican, or Switzerland. He cautioned that the ongoing impasse might extend Russia’s conflict, which is currently in its fourth year.
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