Russia says signal for start of direct peace talks should come from Ukraine

MOSCOW - Russia said on Monday it was waiting for a signal from Ukraine to say it was willing to hold direct negotiations to end their war, but had not seen any signs of movement.

The Kremlin said last Friday that the possibility of direct talks had been raised during a three-hour meeting between President Vladimir Putin and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.

Moscow and Kyiv have not held direct negotiations since March 2022, soon after the start of Russias full-scale war in Ukraine. Later that year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy adopted a decree that ruled out negotiations with Putin, after Russia claimed four regions of Ukraine as its own.

Zelenskiy, who met U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of Pope Francis funeral, has said Kyiv would be ready to hold talks with Moscow once a ceasefire deal has stopped the fighting.

Zelenskiys chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said on Monday that continuing Russian attacks contradicted the Kremlins statements about wanting peace.

Russia is not ceasing fire at the front and is attacking Ukraine with Shaheds right now, Yermak wrote on Telegram, referring to Iranian-made drones widely used by Russian forces.

All the Russians statements about peace without ceasing fire are just plain lies.

Asked by a reporter if the signal for direct talks should come from Ukraine or the United States, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: Well, from Kyiv, at least Kyiv should take some actions in this regard. They have a legal ban on this. But so far we dont see any action.

Meanwhile, Moscow would continue its special military operation, he said.

Moscow and Kyiv are under pressure from the U.S. to find a settlement to end the war, the deadliest in Europe since World War Two.

Ukraine accuses Russia of playing for time in order to