Russia and Ukraine have indicated that they may be ready for direct negotiations to end this phase of their war.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said on social media late Monday that Ukraine was “ready for any conversation” to halt strikes on civilian infrastructure that have left Kyiv's electrical power generation in ruins.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri S. Peskov said on Tuesday that there were “nuances” in the Ukrainian proposal "that it makes sense to discuss" with Kyiv.
The cautious exchange reveals an eagerness to at least appear interested in sitting down to talk with each other. The fact that Donald Trump expressed exasperation with both sides regarding the lack of progress toward negotiations last week probably had a great deal to do with the statements in recent days.
Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday that he hoped Russia and Ukraine “will make a deal this week,” warning both nations that if either country “makes it very difficult” to reach a deal to end the war, the United States could decide that “we’re just going to take a pass.”
It needs to be said that both sides are close to exhaustion. The death toll has been horrific, and Ukraine's infrastructure damage is appalling. Trump's warning that the U.S. might walk away hit both sides hard. It may have been just the brace that Putin and Zelensky needed to get the process started.
The new suggestion of bilateral talks came after Mr. Putin unexpectedly declared a 30-hour cease-fire over the Easter weekend. Both sides accused each other of violating the temporary truce, but also confirmed that the intensity of the fighting did decline.
On Sunday, Mr. Zelensky proposed a monthlong cease-fire in which both sides would “cease any strikes using long-range drones and missiles on civilian infrastructure.”
“There were no air raid alerts on Easter, and some sectors of the front line remained quiet,” Mr. Zelensky wrote in a social media post on Monday that reiterated the proposal. “This proves it is possible — it’s possible when Russia chooses to reduce the killing.”
Putin's suggestion to come to an agreement with Ukraine on striking civilian targets went beyond his usual vague promise that Russia was open to negotiations as long as certain conditions were met.
“President Putin has repeatedly talked about his readiness to resolve issues through negotiations,” Peskov said Tuesday. “This was another repetition of this readiness.”
But this time, Putin didn't attach any conditions to sitting down with Ukraine to discuss ways to limit civilian casualties. It certainly didn't limit Russia's air attacks that continued on Tuesday.
A flurry of exploding drones or missiles hit several Ukrainian cities overnight and through the day on Tuesday, the local authorities said, setting buildings and cars on fire. Ukraine does not report successful strikes on military sites.
In the Black Sea port city of Odesa, three people were wounded when drones struck a residential neighborhood overnight, according to the city government. Overnight strikes also damaged six houses and four cars near Kyiv, the capital, local officials said.
Putin doesn't need a ceasefire as badly as Ukraine, but the war is certainly taking a toll on the Russian military. And the Russian thrust in the East continues to make headway, although at a terrific cost.
“We are now reaching a point where we need to decide whether this is even possible or not,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters. “Because if it’s not, then I think we’re just going to move on.”
“It’s not our war. We have other priorities to focus on,” he stated, adding that the decision could come in a “matter of days.”
Ukraine needs the U.S. presence at the peace table more than Russia, but Russia needs the pressure Trump can bring to bear on Kyiv to end the fighting.
If both sides can recognize their mutual dependence on the U.S. for a peace deal, it will likely result in an agreement.
