Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested a willingness to engage in ceasefire negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as the Trump administration intensifies efforts to broker a peace agreement. “We need to sort this out,” Putin told a Russian state TV reporter on Monday. “Maybe even bilaterally.”
Putin’s remarks came as a senior U.S. official described this week as “critically important” for advancing a potential truce between the two countries, which have been at war since Russia’s February 2022 invasion. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Ukraine “must attempt steps to clear the way” for talks, reiterating that Putin has “repeatedly spoken about his readiness” to negotiate.
Zelenskyy, without directly addressing Putin’s comments, said late Monday that Ukraine “was ready for any conversation” aimed at halting attacks on civilians. “Nevertheless, Ukraine stands by its offer — at the very least, not to strike civilian infrastructure,” he said.
No direct negotiations between the two governments have taken place, but both are under mounting pressure from President Donald Trump’s administration to reach an agreement.
Zelenskyy is expected to continue meetings with top U.S. and European officials in London this week. The senior U.S. official noted that Ukraine and European leaders are preparing their response to a “terms sheet” presented in Paris by Senator Marco Rubio and Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg. The official added that Rubio had recently spoken with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, though the conversation yielded little progress. The official also emphasized that further meetings would depend on signs of meaningful advancement.
Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov confirmed that Witkoff is scheduled to return to Moscow this week following three previous meetings with Putin focused on ending the conflict.
In his nightly address Monday, Zelenskyy said the talks in London carry one core objective: “to push for an unconditional ceasefire. This must be the starting point.”
Trump expressed optimism in a Sunday post on Truth Social, saying the two sides would “hopefully” reach a deal “this week.”
