Kyiv, May 12 (NationPress) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Monday his openness to engage in dialogues with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict between their nations.

This announcement followed a call from US President Donald Trump, urging Ukraine to promptly agree to the negotiations suggested by President Putin, potentially occurring in Turkey on May 15.

"We have no issues in Ukraine regarding negotiations; we are prepared for any format. I will be in Turkey this Thursday, May 15, and I anticipate that Putin will also attend personally. I sincerely hope that this time, Putin will refrain from making excuses about why he cannot attend. We are eager to converse and bring an end to this war. President Trump has extended his support, and all leaders are backing this initiative," Zelensky shared on X.

Previously, on Sunday, Putin addressed reporters in the Kremlin, proposing that the authorities in Kyiv resume direct talks without preconditions, which Ukraine had halted in 2022.

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Putin's proposal to initiate direct talks with Kyiv reaffirms Russia's genuine commitment to finding a peaceful resolution to the Ukrainian crisis.

"This is a significant proposal, highlighting a true willingness to establish peace," he remarked during a broadcast on Russian television while commenting on Putin's initiative.

“A sustainable peace can only be forged through serious negotiations, and the readiness for such discussions has now been clearly demonstrated by the Russian President," the spokesman stressed.

Last month, Putin announced a ceasefire for humanitarian reasons from midnight May 8 to midnight May 11 in honor of the Victory Day celebrations.

Zelensky previously rejected the ceasefire proposal, demanding a more extended pause in fighting under his conditions and even issued threats concerning the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow, as reported by the state-run news agency TASS.

On Sunday, Putin mentioned that Russia does not dismiss the possibility of prolonging the three-day Victory Day ceasefire in May, contingent on Kyiv's response.

"On this sacred day for us, we declared a ceasefire for the third time. We informed our Western partners that we do not exclude extending it. However, this will depend on an analysis of what transpired over these three days and how the Kyiv regime reacts to this," the Russian leader stated while addressing reporters in the Kremlin.