Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine is ready to agree to an unconditional ceasefire with Russia and move toward diplomacy in an effort to reach a settlement to the conflict.
Zelenskyy said Kyiv was prepared to halt hostilities without preconditions and transition to diplomatic efforts, as fighting and tensions between Russia and Ukraine continue.
The remarks come amid renewed efforts to assess the prospects for restarting negotiations, while Moscow and Kyiv continue to hold differing positions over the terms of any potential ceasefire.
Moscow Rejects Ceasefire Without Addressing Root Causes
Russian officials have said Moscow does not see a ceasefire as viable without agreements addressing what it describes as the root causes of the conflict.
Russia’s permanent representative to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe said Moscow would not agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine without reaching arrangements aimed at addressing the factors that led to the conflict.
A Russian Foreign Ministry official also criticized Ukrainian proposals for a ceasefire, arguing that they do not provide, from Moscow’s perspective, a realistic framework for ending the conflict.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has previously said Moscow had observed ceasefires on earlier occasions, while accusing Kyiv of failing to adhere to its stated commitments.
Proposals Come Amid Continued Fighting
A Russian military correspondent suggested that the emergence of different ceasefire proposals could be linked to recent developments on the battlefield, particularly Russian strikes targeting sites associated with Ukraine’s logistics, transportation infrastructure and ports.
The Ukrainian and Russian statements come as fighting continues along several fronts, while diplomatic efforts remain underway to establish a path toward ending hostilities and reaching a broader settlement to the conflict.
