Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday said he was prepared to negotiate with Russia "in any format" once a ceasefire takes hold while the Financial Times reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered to halt Moscow's invasion at the current frontlines.
Putin on Monday suggested bilateral talks with Kyiv for the first time since early in the war which is more than three years old. The U.S. has been pressuring the two leaders to show concrete progress toward a peace deal. Washington has threatened to walk away from the effort without tangible results soon.
The White House said Steve Witkoff, U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy, will meet again with Putin later this week in Russia.
Zelenskyy has not responded directly to Putin's proposal for bilateral talks but has repeatedly said achieving a ceasefire, especially on civilian targets, was top priority.
"We are ready to record that after a ceasefire, we are ready to sit down in any format so that there are no dead ends," Zelenskiy told reporters in the presidential office in Kyiv.
The Ukrainian president said his delegation would have a mandate to discuss a full or partial ceasefire at talks in London on Wednesday with Western countries.
Citing people familiar with the matter, the Financial Times reported that Putin offered at a meeting with Witkoff in St Petersburg this month to halt Russia's invasion across the frontline and relinquish its claims to four Ukrainian regions.
The FT said the proposal was the first formal indication Putin has given since the war’s early months that Russia could step back from its maximalist demands. It cited European officials briefed on U.S. efforts as saying Russia's apparent concession could be a negotiating tactic.
The Washington Post reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the deliberations, that Washington has proposed recognizing Russia's annexation of Crimea and freezing the war's frontlines. The Crimean peninsula, which Russia seized in 2014, is not one of the four regions in Putin's offer reported by the FT.
Zelenskyy has long said Ukraine will not recognize Russia's claim in Crimea.
The U.S. presented the proposals to Kyiv at a meeting with Western countries in Paris last week, the Washington Post said.
Russia claimed to annex four provinces after its full-scale invasion in 2022: Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia.
The various reports suggested potential outlines of a U.S. proposal that could include a ceasefire along current frontlines, U.S. recognition of Russia's annexation of Crimea, Russia's relinquishing claims to the four Ukrainian provinces and an international force to monitor a ceasefire.
There are other complex issues such as the Kremlin's insistence that Ukraine become formally neutral and not join NATO as well as a deal that Kyiv is negotiating with Washington over sharing its mineral revenues with the U.S.
In a follow-up to the Paris meeting, Ukraine is participating in discussions in London with the U.S. and other Western countries on Wednesday.
In an apparent change of plan, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will not attend the talks in London, a State Department spokesperson said on Tuesday, adding that Washington's Ukraine envoy General Keith Kellogg would attend.
Trump and Rubio said last week that Washington could abandon its peace effort unless there was progress within days. Trump on Sunday said that "hopefully" there would be a deal "this week".
Separately, Zelenskyy said he would be happy to meet Trump when they attend the funeral of Pope Francis along with other world leaders this week.
© Thomson Reuters 2025.
47 Comments
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TaiwanIsNotChina
Putin has to make clear whether he is willing to drop his other conditions like recognizing stolen territory, disarming Ukraine or no foreign armaments.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Not sure why russia should get any recognition of stolen territory: are NATO troops back on the table? Didn't think so.
JJE
No one in recorded human history has heard of an "unconditional ceasefire" and they are pulling your leg by asserting there is any such precedent, so it is good this article drops that gaslighting.
Not recognizing decent territorial changes, especially Crimea - which incidentally was founded by Russia - will mean the conflict will go on.
Suspect that is fine by Moscow, as they stand to make sweeping gains going forward. It is Zelensky who is being intransigent.
TaiwanIsNotChina
The Koreans have heard of an unconditional ceasefire in their own countries as have countless others.
TaiwanIsNotChina
If killing terrorists bent on wiping your country off of the map is intransigence then call me intransigent.
Tamarama
Geez, the US sure has left Ukraine high and dry, hasn't it, eh?
Decades of courting them over NATO, leaning into Ukrainian elections, intervening in internal affairs, only to pull the rug with DT in the chair.
Ukraine best to take what it can get at this point, to prevent the whole country being overrun and the deaths to continue needlessly.
They will have learnt a very bitter and valuable lesson in terms of the US, alliances and the associated perceived 'security', as has Europe more broadly.
geronimo2006
I think Russia must be at the end of its offensive capability. Basically, they can't take any more land which is why they are now willing to negotiate a ceasefire. I thought they might try to go for one more push in summer but it seems they don't have the equipment and are getting hammered by Ukranian drones. Russian losses are appallingly high and European resolve remains strong which might finally be pressuring Putin into talks.
JJE
Korea wasn't an unconditional ceasefire - pull the other one. Apples and oranges because it didn't have one side losing and wanting a ceasefire and the other not really needing one. Countless others that can't be named...
Russia can finish off the Kyiv regime and seize much more territory. Indeed, Moscow has every strategic incentive to press the advantage as everyone knows administrations in Washington change every four years or so. Safe assumption they will choose this reasonable course of action.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Apples and apples because you had 3 million Chinese trying to turn the tide against South Korea. Still waiting on what the burdensome conditions were besides establishing a DMZ and exchanging prisoners. If russia is not on the ropes then it is up to the West to keep pushing until it is. Pootie seems to be trying to get something with these garbage proposals, though.
South Sudan civil war. Tigray war. Every single other war that ended in a stalemate.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Just two more weeks, huh?
TaiwanIsNotChina
Are you also under the impression that a phone call changed governments in Kyiv?
The best they can get is holding back the disgusting terrorists trying to claim their land until the sun explodes.
And nothing about russia, almost like doesn't exist. Checks out.
Underworld
Tamarama
NATO has nothing to do with this conflict.
Check your history. The only leaning into Ukrainian elections was done in 2004 by Russia. The fraudulent result lead to the Supreme Court declaring the second round results to be invalid and ordered a repeat of the vote.
You may also remember that Yushchenko was poisoned just before that election, a favorite Russian move.
The US have not interfered in Ukrainian elections.
Ukraine are holding out and have stopped Russia in their tracks.
The only bitter lessons they have learned is to never trust imperialist Russia, and that the US can withdrawal it's support when their fascist leader supports Russia.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Still Putin's War
Underworld
Fos
In February 2022, no Washington tanks were to be seen. But Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine. Why do you keep insisting that the US was involved, when they clearly weren't?
Fos
As we all know the war was provoked by American neocons who deliberately ignored Putin's red lines about NATO expansion and western meddling in his backyard spelt out consistently since at least 2008.
Even the then NATO Chief in September 2023, Jens Stoltenberg, admitted that NATO Expansion was key to Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Here are Stoltenberg’s revealing words:
“The background was that President Putin declared in the autumn of 2021, and actually sent a draft treaty that they wanted NATO to sign, to promise no more NATO enlargement. That was what he sent us. And was a pre-condition to not invade Ukraine. Of course, we didn't sign that".
Underworld
Fos
Incorrect.
Putin didn't invade Ukraine in 2022 because he feared NATO. He invaded because he believed that NATO was weak, that his efforts to regain control of Ukraine by other means had failed, and that installing a pro-Russian government in Kyiv would be safe and easy. His aim was not to defend Russia against some non-existent threat but rather to expand Russia's power, eradicate Ukraine's statehood, and destroy NATO, goals he still pursues.
Indeed, it would have been foolish to sign that.
The fact that Ukraine was not in NATO lead to their invasion by Russia.
NZ
Guy on photo must be very desperate now.
NO CARDS whatsoever...
Ukraine best to take what it can get at this point, to prevent the whole country being overrun and the deaths to continue needlessly.Correct mate.Very correct.
chatanista
Financial Times reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered to halt Moscow's invasion at the current frontlines.
It is good to see Russia coming to the table with serious offer to bring around the ceasefire, hopefully the negotiators can build on this going forward.
Putin on Monday suggested bilateral talks with Kyiv for the first time since early in the war which is more than three years old.
Trump administration ongoing efforts are finally paying off by the look of it.
Putin offered at a meeting with Witkoff in St Petersburg this month to halt Russia's invasion across the frontline and relinquish its claims to four Ukrainian regions.
Relinquishing claims to the four regions would be a huge concession by Putin. That sounds very promising.
NATO has nothing to do with this conflict.
That is like saying Trump has nothing to do with the market rollercoaster.
WoodyLee
Good News, I pray that the two sides start talking soon and end this war ASAP.
WoodyLee
Just Keep NATO out of the talks.
NZ
WoodyLee
thats right.
lets hope that this unecessary conflict will be solved and killing will stopped soon.
wallace
Trump is coming up to his first 100 days in office, he promised to end the war in just one day.
Wasabi
No country should reward a country that started a war and committed so many war crime. Give nothing to russia until they leave Ukraine and pay compensation to all Ukraine resident.
For the principle and for the example.
Blacklabel
Never going to be any progress with Zelensky involved.
He changes narratives these days more than he changes his outfit.
Last desperate actions of a guy who knows he’s getting kicked out of office after losing an avoidable proxy war that killed hundreds of thousands.
NZ
always need to keep in mind why this conflict have happened and what it was reason.
once both sides will come to roots of problem and will solve/remove problems from past and will make a deal-than there is may be some real progress in process.
until than I dont expect any major change or progress towards a peace.
Underworld
NZ
The root of the problem is Russian imperialism. Putin does not see Ukraine as a sovereign nation. He has said as much.
Indeed, it may take removal of Putin to achieve.
Underworld
Blacklabel
Russia would indeed be happy if Zelenskyy was removed. His strong leadership has galvanized Ukraine.
How so?
With Putin in power, this war was never avoidable.
Fos
Good thought. Few elements here:
The US administration has sent over 115 billions of dollars of weapons to Ukraine since the start of the conflict and forced Nato countries to increase their expenses of weapons.
The US financial stock rose to all time high, since the top five arms manufactures in the world are all American.
The White House swiftly took over Russian gas charging four times as much, benefiting Texas oil companies. Since the outbreak of war in Ukraine and disruptions in pipeline flows from Russia, the United States has increased LNG sales to Europe by 140 percent.
The US administration is about to seize most of the rare earth and mineral resources of Ukraine, US fossil fuel corporations like ExxonMobil, Chevron, and Halliburton will run its oil and gas industry.NZ
The US administration is about to seize most of the rare earth and mineral resources of Ukraine, US fossil fuel corporations like ExxonMobil, Chevron, and Halliburton will run its oil and gas industry.
Thats DJT peace plan...just to benefit USA
Blacklabel
doesnt want ceasefire, then does.
will sign mineral deal then wont.
wants to continue war, wants it to stop.
wont directly negotiate with Putin, then will.
on and on.
Blacklabel
Thats DJT peace plan...just to benefit USA
we should benefit after all our wasted money and wasted time supporting and paying for a lost proxy war.
NZ
Ukraine presses for ceasefire
Question is why?
As all of us know that Ukraine prevails?
Why prevailing/winning side of conflict needs to press for a ceasefire?
I cant find any logic there...
Wasabi
Protecting democratic and the free world is wasted money and time?!?
Also, if you think a little (I know, hard) will russia stop in Ukraine? Will russia want to push to others country after? Where will it stop?
Underworld
chatanista
Financial Times reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered to halt Moscow's invasion at the current frontlines.
They won't be able to, because Putin wants peace talks, but not peace.
Putin on Monday suggested bilateral talks with Kyiv for the first time since early in the war which is more than three years old.
It certainly doesn't look like it. Putin wants the US to formally recognize Crimea as part of Russia. Even China and Iran don't recognize that.
NATO has nothing to do with this conflict.
No, it isn't.
Blacklabel
We didn’t pay Ukraine 100s of billions, give away our weapons stockpiles and have our people suffer years of Bidenflation for Ukraine to lose, that’s correct.
Underworld
Blacklabel
How so?
Reacting to the fickle whims of the current president. Biden wasn't great for Ukraine, but at least he was consistent.
Underworld
Blacklabel
A perfect argument for continued support of Ukraine.
TaiwanIsNotChina
Putin can end it tomorrow by pulling out or even agreeing to the 30 day unconditional ceasefire.
TaiwanIsNotChina
It's almost as if some ah is twisting his arm, isn't it?
Avoidable only in the minds of the goobers that drink whatever comes out of Trump.
Then shouldn't the mensa champs in the White House be focused on how to win the war?
TaiwanIsNotChina
Some ahs think they can reform empires that have long since ended up on the ash heap of history.
Blacklabel
thats what we paid Ukraine for. And Biden was there for 95% of the war. Definitely not a Mensa guy.
chatanista
Fos 08:26am Here are Stoltenberg’s revealing words: “The background was that President Putin declared in the autumn of 2021, and actually sent a draft treaty that they wanted NATO to sign, to promise no more NATO enlargement. That was what he sent us. And was a pre-condition to not invade Ukraine. Of course, we didn't sign that"
Indeed, it would have been foolish to sign that.
Such signing would have prevented the invasion and hundreds of thousands of casualties on both sides in exchange for a promise of no further enlargement so it would not have been foolish. It would have been the right thing to do. Nowhere is it given that Ukraine has to be in NATO.
chatanista
With Putin in power, this war was never avoidable.
It would have been easily avoided had NATO agreed to not try and enlarge into Ukraine. NATO Secretary General J. Stoltenberg stated exactly that (as the post above shows ).
Underworld
chatanista
Here are Stoltenberg’s revealing words: “The background was that President Putin declared in the autumn of 2021, and actually sent a draft treaty that they wanted NATO to sign, to promise no more NATO enlargement. That was what he sent us. And was a pre-condition to not invade Ukraine. Of course, we didn't sign that"
Indeed, it would have been foolish to sign that.
It would have prevented nothing.
Putin didn't invade Ukraine in 2022 because he feared NATO. He invaded because he believed that NATO was weak, that his efforts to regain control of Ukraine by other means had failed, and that installing a pro-Russian government in Kyiv would be safe and easy. His aim was not to defend Russia against some non-existent threat but rather to expand Russia's power, eradicate Ukraine's statehood, and destroy NATO, goals he still pursues.
Allowing Russia to dictate what alliances Ukraine can join? It would certainly not be the right thing to do.
If they want collective protection against an aggressive, imperialist neighbor, they need to be part of NATO.
Underworld
chatanista
With Putin in power, this war was never avoidable.
I repeat. This war has nothing to do with NATO.
And I have a question. If joining NATO so bad for Russia, why is Putin fine with Finland joining NATO, even though they share a substantial border?
The NATO argument is merely a pretext.
Putin doesn't believe that Ukraine is its own sovereign nation, he has said as much.
Hence, this is a war of imperialism.
chatanista
The US / West can not afford to continue throwing tens and hundreds of billions into an endless Ukraine conflict. It is not our war, there are other priorities to take care of.
It would have prevented nothing.
It would have prevented the invasion.
It would certainly not be the right thing to do.
It would have prevented the invasion and hundreds of thousands of casualties. Would have been the right thing to do.
they need to be part of NATO.
That was never realistic. Now Ukraine has unfortunately paid the heaviest of prizes for this.
Fos
Talking about imperialism
History come to our rescue, once again.
Important to note that NATO was formed in 1949 with the aim to provide collective security to its Western European and North American members against potential Soviet aggression. The Warsaw Pact was created in 1955 in response to NATO. When the latter officially disbanded in 1991 following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, from 1999 Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic joined the alliance, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia in 2004 and so on, the list goes on, despite the promises made by the previous US administration to Gorbachev not to advance “one inch to the West”.
It is important to remember that the Pentagon contributes for about 80% of all the military equipment to Nato. So, I don’t think there is too much to add here, let's talk about imperialism.