KYIV – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed his satisfaction at Russia’s recent willingness to engage in efforts to resolve the conflict, but he insists that a ceasefire must precede any peace negotiations.

Calling it a “positive sign,” he said on X Sunday that “the entire world has been waiting for this for a very long time. And the very first step in truly ending any war is a ceasefire.”

“There is no point in continuing the killing even for a single day. We expect Russia to confirm a ceasefire — full, lasting, and reliable — starting tomorrow, May 12th, and Ukraine is ready to meet,” Zelenskyy said, appearing to insist on the proposal.

Russian President Vladimir Putin in remarks to the media overnight effectively rejected that ceasefire offer and proposed restarting direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15 instead “without preconditions.” He said a ceasefire might be agreed on during the negotiations.

Putin’s counteroffer came after leaders from four major European countries threatened to ratchet up pressure on Moscow if it does not accept an unconditional 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine that they offered on Saturday in a strong show of unity with Kyiv.