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Zelensky Says Ukraine Helped Push Russia Toward Possible Talks
(MENAFN) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that Ukraine has helped move Russia closer to agreeing to a potential meeting between the two countries’ leaders, while noting that the format and structure of any talks still need to be determined.
Zelenskyy stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin has recently signaled openness to direct negotiations. He said, “Now, Putin himself says that he is finally ready for real meetings. We pushed him a little toward this, and we have long been ready for such meetings ourselves -- now a format must be found,” adding that the priority remains ending the war and establishing reliable security guarantees.
His remarks followed Putin’s statement on Saturday indicating readiness to meet Zelenskyy in a third country, provided the purpose would be to finalize a peace agreement aimed at ending the ongoing conflict, now in its fourth year.
Zelenskyy also said preparations are underway for a large prisoner exchange involving 1,000 individuals from each side. He noted that Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters had already submitted lists of 1,000 prisoners of war to Russia.
At the same time, he accused Russian forces of continuing active hostilities despite recent ceasefire announcements. According to Zelenskyy, Ukrainian positions faced more than 150 assault operations, over 100 shelling incidents, and nearly 10,000 kamikaze drone strikes within a two-day period. He added that there had been no large-scale missile or air attacks during that time.
He also said Ukraine had avoided long-range strikes over the same period, citing the absence of major Russian aerial attacks, but warned that Ukraine would respond proportionally if conditions changed. “Going forward, we will respond in kind. And if the Russians decide to return to full-scale warfare, our sanctions for this will be immediate and tangible,” he said.
The statements come against the backdrop of a temporary ceasefire framework announced by Russia for May 8–9 to mark Victory Day, with Ukraine previously announcing a separate truce beginning May 6 in response.
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