Russia attacked Ukraine with over 100 Shahed and decoy drones overnight, Kyiv said Monday, after Moscow rejected a 30-day ceasefire but said it would join peace talks without preconditions. The Kremlin did not respond to Zelenskyys call for direct talks with Putin in Turkey on Thursday.
Russialaunched more than 100 Shahed and decoy drones atUkrainein nighttime attacks, the Ukrainian air force said Monday, after the Kremlin effectively rejected an unconditional 30-day ceasefire in the more than three-year war, but reiterated it would take part in possible peace talks later this week without preconditions.
There was no direct response from the Kremlin, meanwhile, to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys challenge for Russian leader Vladimir Putin to meet him for face-to-face peace talks in Turkey on Thursday.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday refused to say who might travel to Istanbul from the Russian side.
Overall, were determined to seriously look for ways to achieve a long-term peaceful settlement. That is all, Peskov said.
The United States and European governments are making a concerted push to stop the fighting, which has killed tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides, as well as more than 10,000 Ukrainian civilians.Russias invading forces have taken around one-fifth ofUkrainein Europe's biggest conflict since World War II.
US President Donald Trump said Monday that hes optimistic about the Istanbul talks. There is the potential for a good meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy, Trump said in Washington, adding that he was thinking about flying over to the talks from his visit to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates that day.
Zelenskyy supported the prospect of Trump attending the negotiations. I supported President Trump with the idea of direct talks with Putin. I have openly expressed my readiness to meet," he said. And of course, all of us inUkrainewould appreciate it if President Trump could be there with us at this meeting in Turkey.
Read moreUkraine says Russia is 'completely ignoring' ceasefire call
In a flurry of diplomatic developments over the weekend,Russiashunned the ceasefire proposal tabled by the US and European leaders, but offered direct talks withUkraineon Thursday.
Ukraine, along with European allies, had demanded thatRussiaaccept a ceasefire starting Monday before holding peace talks. Moscow effectively rejected that proposal and instead called for direct negotiations in Istanbul.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday he had discussed Russian-Ukrainian peace efforts in separate calls with Zelenskyy, Putin and Trump.
Erdogan said a new window of opportunity has emerged for peace, and claimed that previous talks hosted by Turkey in 2022 came close to success but were derailed by war barons.
We support my dear friend Trumps determination to resolve active conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy, he said.
US President Donald Trump insisted thatUkraineaccept the Russian offer of talks. Zelenskyy went a step further Sunday and put pressure on Putin by offering a personal meeting.
France added its voice to that offer Monday, with Foreign Minister Jean-Nol Barrot urging Putin to accept though Barrot repeated the European position that a truce must be in place before the talks.
Russia's failure to join the ceasefire offered byUkrainewould bring further sanctions on Moscow, European leaders say. Germany on Monday remindedRussiaof that intention.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, who met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday, said the pressure onRussiawas increasing.
Everybody wants peace now.Ukrainewants peace, Europe wants peace, the US wants peace,'' he told The Associated Press during an interview in London. NowRussianeeds to make up their mind whether they also want peace or not, an unconditional ceasefire.
Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said that giving ultimatums toRussiawas unacceptable and wouldn't work. "You cannot talk toRussiain this language, he told reporters.
Also on Monday, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy was hosting in London senior diplomatic officials from France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Poland and the European Union to discuss how best to fight back against Russian aggression.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said he expected the two sides to reach a compromise in the coming days that might break the deadlock over whether talks could begin without a truce in place.
Russian and Ukrainian officials are mindful of public opinion in their countries and are trying to secure the support of the United States for their stances, he said in explaining the delay.
In Kyiv, residents expressed a mixture of hope and despondency at the latest peace efforts.
Putin doesnt want a truce to halt the war, because it will mean that he has lost, Antonina Metko, 43, told The Associated Press. That is why they are postponing it. And everything will continue in the same way. Unfortunately.
Vladyslav Nehrybetskyi, 72, was more upbeat, saying that the seeds of a peace agreement are being sown, even though a difficult process lies ahead. So lets hope.
Ukraine's government has tried to keep up the momentum for a peace deal started by the Trump administration.
Ukrainewants to end this war and is doing everything for this, Zelenskyy said on Telegram Monday. We expect appropriate steps fromRussia.
The Ukrainian leader said that he told Pope Leo XIV about peace efforts during his first phone conversation with the new pontiff.
Ukraineis counting on the Vatican's help in securing the return of thousands of children that the government says have been deported byRussia, Zelenskyy said, adding that he had invited the pope to visitUkraine.
In his first Sunday noon blessing as pontiff, Leo called for a genuine and just peace inUkraine.
I carry in my heart the sufferings of the beloved Ukrainian people, he said.
In 2022, in the wars early months, Zelenskyy repeatedly called for a personal meeting with Putin but was rebuffed, and eventually enacted a decree declaring that holding negotiations with him had become impossible.
Putin and Zelenskyy have only met once, in 2019. Trump says that deep hatred between the sides has made it difficult to push peace efforts forward.
(FRANCE 24 with AP)
Originally published on France24
