KYIV, Ukraine (AP) 鈥 Russia launched more than 100 Shahed and decoy drones at Ukraine in nighttime attacks, the Ukrainian air force said Monday, after the Kremlin effectively rejected an unconditional 30-day ceasefire in the more than three-year war, but reiterated it would take part in possible peace talks later this week without preconditions.
There was no direct response from the Kremlin, meanwhile, to Ukrainian President Volodymyr for Russian leader Vladimir Putin to meet him for face-to-face peace talks in Turkey on Thursday.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to say who might travel to Istanbul from the Russian side.
鈥淥verall, we鈥檙e determined to seriously look for ways to achieve a long-term peaceful settlement. That is all,鈥 Peskov said.
The United States and European governments are making a concerted push to stop the fighting, which has killed tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides, as well as more than 10,000 Ukrainian civilians. Russia鈥檚 invading forces have taken around one-fifth of Ukraine in Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he鈥檚 optimistic about the Istanbul talks. There is 鈥渢he potential for a good meeting鈥 between Putin and Zelenskyy, Trump said in Washington, adding that he was 鈥渢hinking about flying over鈥 to the talks from his visit to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates that day.
Zelenskyy supported the prospect of Trump attending the negotiations. 鈥淚 supported President Trump with the idea of direct talks with Putin. I have openly expressed my readiness to meet,” he said. 鈥淎nd of course, all of us in Ukraine would appreciate it if President Trump could be there with us at this meeting in Turkey.鈥
In a flurry of diplomatic developments over the weekend, Russia shunned the ceasefire proposal tabled by the U.S. and European leaders, but with Ukraine on Thursday.
Ukraine, along with European allies, had demanded that Russia accept a ceasefire starting Monday before holding peace talks. Moscow effectively rejected that proposal and instead called for direct negotiations in Istanbul.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he had discussed Russian-Ukrainian peace efforts in separate calls with Zelenskyy, Putin and Trump.
Erdogan said 鈥渁 new window of opportunity has emerged for peace,鈥 and claimed that previous talks hosted by Turkey in 2022 came close to success but were derailed by 鈥渨ar barons.鈥
鈥淲e support my dear friend Trump鈥檚 determination to resolve active conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy,鈥 he said.
West increases pressure on Putin
Trump insisted that Ukraine accept the Russian offer of talks. Zelenskyy went a step further Sunday and put pressure on Putin by offering a personal meeting.
France added its voice to that offer Monday, with Foreign Minister Jean-No毛l Barrot urging Putin to accept 鈥 though Barrot repeated the European position that a truce must be in place before the talks.
Russia’s failure to join the ceasefire offered by Ukraine would bring further sanctions on Moscow, European leaders say. Germany on Monday reminded Russia of that intention.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, who met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday, said the pressure on Russia was increasing.
鈥淓verybody wants peace now. Ukraine wants peace, Europe wants peace, the US wants peace,’’ he told The Associated Press during an interview in London. 鈥淣ow Russia needs to make up their mind whether they also want peace or not, an unconditional ceasefire.鈥
Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said that giving ultimatums to Russia was 鈥渦nacceptable鈥 and wouldn’t work. “You cannot talk to Russia in this language,鈥 he told reporters.
Also on Monday, U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy was hosting in London senior diplomatic officials from France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Poland and the European Union to discuss how best to fight back against Russian aggression.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said he expected the two sides to reach a compromise in the coming days that might break the deadlock over whether talks could begin without a truce in place.
Russian and Ukrainian officials are mindful of public opinion in their countries and are trying to secure the support of the United States for their stances, he said in explaining the delay.
Ukrainians react to peace prospects
In Kyiv, residents expressed a mixture of hope and despondency at the latest peace efforts.
Putin doesn鈥檛 want a truce to halt the war, because 鈥渋t will mean that he has lost,鈥 Antonina Metko, 43, told The Associated Press. 鈥淭hat is why they are postponing it. And everything will continue in the same way. Unfortunately.鈥
Vladyslav Nehrybetskyi, 72, was more upbeat, saying that 鈥渢he seeds鈥 of a peace agreement are being sown, even though 鈥渁 difficult process鈥 lies ahead. 鈥淪o let鈥檚 hope.鈥
Ukraine’s government has tried to keep up the momentum for a peace deal started by the Trump administration.
鈥淯kraine wants to end this war and is doing everything for this,鈥 Zelenskyy said on Telegram. 鈥淲e expect appropriate steps from Russia.鈥
The Ukrainian leader said that he told Pope Leo XIV about peace efforts during his first phone conversation with the new pontiff.
Ukraine is counting on the Vatican’s help in securing the return of thousands of children that the government says have been deported by Russia, Zelenskyy said, adding that he had invited the pope to visit Ukraine.
In his as pontiff, Leo called for a genuine and just peace in Ukraine.
鈥淚 carry in my heart the sufferings of the beloved Ukrainian people,鈥 he said.
In 2022, in the war鈥檚 early months, Zelenskyy repeatedly called for a personal meeting with Putin but was rebuffed, and eventually enacted a decree declaring that holding negotiations with him had become impossible.
Putin and Zelenskyy have only met once, in 2019. Trump says that 鈥渄eep hatred鈥 between the sides has made it difficult to push peace efforts forward.
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Associated Press writers Sylvie Corbet in Paris, Danica Kirka in London, Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, and Geir Moulson in Berlin, contributed to this report.
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