Ukraine: 'When the weapons fall silent, negotiations can begin'

Kyiv is ready for peace talks in any format and a ceasefire lasting at least 30 days, said Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha in a statement on the ministry's Telegram channel.

"Russia can demonstrate genuine willingness for peace negotiations by agreeing to a real ceasefire for at least 30 days. If Russia is ready for a 60- or 90-day ceasefire, we are ready as well," he noted. "When the weapons fall silent, negotiations can begin — in any format that brings peace," the minister concluded.

Ukraine declared its readiness for a 30-day ceasefire back in March. Since then, Russia agreed to a ceasefire for Easter, which lasted from 6:00 PM on April 19 to 12:00 AM on April 21. On April 28, President Vladimir Putin announced another ceasefire, from 12:00 AM on May 8 to 12:00 AM on May 11, during the celebration of the 80th anniversary of Victory Day.

The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that during the Easter ceasefire, the Ukrainian Armed Forces continued to fire artillery and conduct drone strikes on Russian military positions, with 4,900 violations recorded.

In response to the proposed ceasefire for May 9, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described it as "an attempt at manipulation" and reiterated Ukraine's readiness for a 30-day ceasefire. The fact that Ukraine did not give a direct answer on whether it would adhere to the ceasefire was also called manipulation by Putin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.