Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has challenged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to sign a ceasefire to end the fighting, as the two sides work to organize a meeting for a long-term peace after more than three years of war started by Moscow.
Speaking at a press conference in Kiev on June 4, Zelensky said such a meeting could include Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Donald Trump, as two rounds of meetings between lower-level delegations have failed to achieve an end to the war.
"We are ready for an exchange, but to continue diplomatic meetings in Istanbul at a level that does not lead to anything, seems to me to be meaningless," Zelensky said.
"My proposal, which I believe our partners can support, is that we propose to the Russians a ceasefire until the leaders meet. We are in favor of such a meeting anytime," he added.
Zelensky's call for a meeting comes after talks held on June 2 in Istanbul - the second round of face-to-face negotiations between the two sides in the last three years - failed to result in success.
The delegations have only exchanged proposals for a peace agreement.
Among other things, Ukraine has called for a 30-day ceasefire without any conditions, plus the exchange of all prisoners, as well as the return of Ukrainian children, whom Kiev claims have been taken hostage by Russia.
Russia's proposal, on the other hand, calls for international recognition of Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula that Moscow annexed in 2014, as well as four Ukrainian regions that have been partially occupied by Russian forces.
Zelensky has accused the Kremlin of not being serious about negotiating a peace deal - an accusation repeated by other countries - saying it is all a game to prevent Washington from implementing a new round of tough economic sanctions on Russia.
Responding to Zelensky's comments, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov dismissed the statements, saying that the process of direct talks had been working and producing results.
Lavrov said that Moscow should not fall for Ukraine's "criminal provocations" and use negotiations and all other means to achieve its goals in Ukraine./ REL (A2 Televizion)
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