Tentative Signals of Peace as Putin Opens Door to Talks Amid Renewed Strikes

 

In a rare shift in tone, Russian President Vladimir Putin has indicated a potential openness to direct negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, marking the first such signal since the early days of the full-scale invasion that began in February 2022. Despite this overture, Russia continued a series of deadly strikes across Ukraine just hours after Putin’s remarks, casting doubt on the sincerity or viability of renewed diplomatic efforts.

 

In an interview broadcast by Russian state television on Monday, Putin said, “We have always looked positively on any peace initiatives. We hope that representatives of the Kyiv regime will feel the same way.” His comments appeared to reference Ukraine's recent appeal for a temporary truce and its ongoing call to avoid targeting civilians.

 

 

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later clarified the Russian leader’s position, suggesting that Putin’s statement reflected a readiness to engage in direct talks with Ukraine specifically about limiting or ending strikes on civilian areas. “When the president said that it was possible to discuss the issue of not striking civilian targets, including bilaterally, the president had in mind negotiations and discussions with the Ukrainian side,” Peskov told Interfax news agency.

 

However, any optimism generated by Putin's comments was quickly undercut by a new wave of Russian attacks across multiple Ukrainian regions on Tuesday. In the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, a missile strike on a residential apartment building left one woman dead and injured at least 20 others, including four children. Farther east, in Kharkiv, local officials reported that a daytime drone assault wounded seven people. Additional strikes were confirmed in Odesa, Sumy, Donetsk, and Kherson.

 

A Monday night attack on a five-storey apartment block in Odesa left three people injured, according to local media. President Zelensky condemned the surge of violence, calling it “deliberate Russian terror” and asserting that it could be halted “by a single order.”

In his nightly video address, Zelensky stressed that Ukraine had proposed to prolong a ceasefire observed briefly during Easter, when no Russian airstrikes were reported. “This was proven by the short-lived Easter truce on Saturday, when there were no airstrikes in Ukraine,” he wrote on Telegram.

 

He reiterated a proposal, first introduced over the weekend, calling for a 30-day cessation of strikes using long-range drones and missiles on civilian infrastructure. “If Russia does not agree to such a step, it will be proof that it wants to continue doing only things that destroy people’s lives and continue the war,” Zelensky stated.

 

There have been no official direct talks between Russia and Ukraine since the early weeks of the war. Whether Putin’s latest remarks represent a genuine turning point or are merely rhetorical remains to be seen. For now, the ongoing strikes continue to blur the line between diplomatic possibility and the grim realities of a war with no clear end.

 

 

  Adpated by ASEAN Now from BBC  2025-04-24

 

 

 

Not bloody likely!

Does anyone have any trust in anything that Putin says?

The one that keeps rubbing under his nose in preparation for telling another fat round of porkies is never going to agree to the no Nato bit.

1 minute ago, Watawattana said:

Does anyone have any trust in anything that Putin says?

I'm guessing that's rhetoric on all politicians?

6 minutes ago, wombat said:

I'm guessing that's rhetoric on all politicians?

Yeah, good point.

 

I did once meet an honest politician...

 

Ooops, they got me lying now! 😂

In my opinion he’s milked all the concessions and favors he can out of a desperate trump (dropping sanctions keeping territories he’s stolen and a promise trump won’t allow nato membership) perhaps more .our trump can’t seem to do enough for his bestie …..Ukraine deserves better a real American president would stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine.obviously you can’t trust putin he will re arm re train fresh meat and in 2 years continue his war of aggression.think about this for a moment if Trump still occupies the White House in 2 years what state will America be in?obiously trump has proven to be a better ally to Russia than the eu,most of their weapons systems are US designed and depend upon US support……yup kinda makes a guy wonder just what they discussed in helinsky ehh?obiously this is pure conjecture on my part but……

So, Putin invaded Ukraine, and as reward his big friend in the White House awards him with quite some territory, makes Ukraine a more-or-less vasal state of  the Kremlin by not allowing them to join any defense organisation. And the Ukrain government has ZERO to say about what is dictated by the Most Superior Deal Maker in Human History, who even did not succeed to get his opponent, Putin, at the phone at the moment which was agreed.  See Putin smiling on TV during a meeting with Russian CEO's when one remembered him he shoud be at the phone with Trump at that time.

12 hours ago, Social Media said:

 

Tentative Signals of Peace as Putin Opens Door to Talks Amid Renewed Strikes

 

In a rare shift in tone, Russian President Vladimir Putin has indicated a potential openness to direct negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, marking the first such signal since the early days of the full-scale invasion that began in February 2022. Despite this overture, Russia continued a series of deadly strikes across Ukraine just hours after Putin’s remarks, casting doubt on the sincerity or viability of renewed diplomatic efforts.

 

In an interview broadcast by Russian state television on Monday, Putin said, “We have always looked positively on any peace initiatives. We hope that representatives of the Kyiv regime will feel the same way.” His comments appeared to reference Ukraine's recent appeal for a temporary truce and its ongoing call to avoid targeting civilians.

 

 

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later clarified the Russian leader’s position, suggesting that Putin’s statement reflected a readiness to engage in direct talks with Ukraine specifically about limiting or ending strikes on civilian areas. “When the president said that it was possible to discuss the issue of not striking civilian targets, including bilaterally, the president had in mind negotiations and discussions with the Ukrainian side,” Peskov told Interfax news agency.

 

However, any optimism generated by Putin's comments was quickly undercut by a new wave of Russian attacks across multiple Ukrainian regions on Tuesday. In the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, a missile strike on a residential apartment building left one woman dead and injured at least 20 others, including four children. Farther east, in Kharkiv, local officials reported that a daytime drone assault wounded seven people. Additional strikes were confirmed in Odesa, Sumy, Donetsk, and Kherson.

 

A Monday night attack on a five-storey apartment block in Odesa left three people injured, according to local media. President Zelensky condemned the surge of violence, calling it “deliberate Russian terror” and asserting that it could be halted “by a single order.”

In his nightly video address, Zelensky stressed that Ukraine had proposed to prolong a ceasefire observed briefly during Easter, when no Russian airstrikes were reported. “This was proven by the short-lived Easter truce on Saturday, when there were no airstrikes in Ukraine,” he wrote on Telegram.

 

He reiterated a proposal, first introduced over the weekend, calling for a 30-day cessation of strikes using long-range drones and missiles on civilian infrastructure. “If Russia does not agree to such a step, it will be proof that it wants to continue doing only things that destroy people’s lives and continue the war,” Zelensky stated.

 

There have been no official direct talks between Russia and Ukraine since the early weeks of the war. Whether Putin’s latest remarks represent a genuine turning point or are merely rhetorical remains to be seen. For now, the ongoing strikes continue to blur the line between diplomatic possibility and the grim realities of a war with no clear end.

 

 

  Adpated by ASEAN Now from BBC  2025-04-24

 

 

 

Seems very easy to end the war if Ukraine would accept what Trump=Putin got in mind:

Crimea gone

Donbass gone

Nato membership gone

at least

1 hour ago, Watawattana said:

Does anyone have any trust in anything that Putin says?

Putin lies less than tRump...
I don't trust either of them, but more respect for Putin than the orange one!