President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky announced an initiative for a temporary ceasefire between Ukraine and the Russian Federation until a high-level meeting is held. The corresponding proposal was officially made by the Ukrainian side in response to the prolonged escalation of the situation at the front.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Conditions and Details of the Ukrainian Initiative
As Volodymyr Zelensky noted during a briefing, Ukraine offers Russia a cessation of hostilities until a personal meeting between the leaders of both countries takes place. The location for the negotiations is at the discretion of the Russian side – Istanbul, the Vatican, or Switzerland. The Ukrainian side is ready to organize the meeting on any day starting from Monday.
“We propose to the Russians a ceasefire until the leaders meet. The meeting is at the choice of the Russians – Istanbul, the Vatican, or Switzerland. We offer to meet any day from Monday,” Zelensky said during the briefing.
The President added that the essence of such a step is to demonstrate readiness for dialogue: if an understanding or de-escalation cannot be achieved after the meeting, the ceasefire will be canceled on the same day. However, if the parties agree to further negotiations, Ukraine is prepared to extend the truce with the involvement of American observers.
Zelensky expressed hope that U.S. President Donald Trump would support this idea. Additionally, according to the Ukrainian leader, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has already expressed his support. Erdogan, in a phone conversation, proposed to hold a quadrilateral meeting involving himself, Trump, Zelensky, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ukraine is open to such a format on any convenient day.
Positions of the Parties in the Negotiations
During the negotiations that took place in Istanbul, Ukraine proposed to hold a meeting of the leaders by the end of June this year. However, as reported by Deputy Foreign Minister Serhiy Kyslytsia, the Russian Federation is currently refusing a general ceasefire.
In response, the head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, stated that Russia is only willing to agree to a short-term cessation of hostilities – for two to three days and only in specific areas of the front. According to him, detailed preparation is necessary for a meeting at the level of heads of state so that the leaders can approve already agreed decisions rather than discuss the details of the agreements.