[Source / Observer Network, Ruan Jiaqi]

After the temporary ceasefire of 30 hours during the Russian Orthodox Easter ended, Russian President Putin expressed his willingness to engage in direct peace negotiations with Ukraine. According to reports from Russia's TASS News Agency and Britain's Reuters on April 21, local time on Monday (April 21), when responding to questions related to the "Easter ceasefire," Putin told Russian reporters that Moscow has always been positively inclined toward any peace initiatives and hopes that Kiev is as well.

The past weekend, Putin announced that during the Easter period, Russian troops would cease fire from 18:00 Moscow Time on April 19 to 0:00 on April 21 for 30 hours.

As the ceasefire ended, Putin stated, "The fighting has resumed. We said this (about the resumption of fighting) when we announced the ceasefire. However, we have always had a positive attitude towards the ceasefire, which is why we proposed such an initiative. Moreover, it was during the sacred Easter period."

He added, "We have always talked about this—we have a positive attitude towards any peace initiative. We hope that representatives of the Kiev regime also share the same thoughts."

Pu tin also stated that the proposal to not target civilian infrastructure needs to be studied. He pointed out that the Ukrainian authorities use civilian infrastructure for military purposes, and Russia will analyze the proposal to suspend strikes against civilian infrastructure and respond accordingly.

According to TASS, Kremlin spokesman Peskov subsequently emphasized that Putin is ready to discuss specifically with the Ukrainian side not attacking civilian targets.

"When the president mentioned discussing the possibility of not attacking civilian targets, including through bilateral discussions, he was referring precisely to negotiating and discussing with the Ukrainian side," Peskov reiterated. "The president has previously stated multiple times his willingness to negotiate with Ukraine, and this statement is another positive proposal on this issue."

On April 21 local time, Putin answered questions from journalists regarding the "Easter ceasefire." Screenshot from TASS video.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian side also claimed its support for the proposal to stop attacks on civilian targets and is prepared to discuss this goal in any form.

That evening, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy released a video on social media stating, "We insist on the proposal not to attack civilian targets and look forward to a clear response from Moscow."

Zelenskyy also mentioned that on the 23rd, representatives from Ukraine, the UK, France, and the US will meet in London to discuss issues like a ceasefire. Reuters reported that this meeting is a continuation of the consultations held in Paris on April 17 involving the US, the UK, Germany, France, and Ukraine.

Zelenskyy declared that the primary task of the London talks is to push for an unconditional ceasefire and emphasized that establishing real and lasting peace must start from this point.

It is worth noting that several hours after the ceasefire began, both sides accused each other of not fully complying with the temporary ceasefire proposal. On April 21, Putin stated that the Ukrainian army violated the temporary ceasefire proposal nearly 5,000 times, but overall activity had decreased, and Russia should summarize the experience of the Easter temporary ceasefire.

On the evening of April 21, Zelenskyy released a video.

The last round of direct negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian representatives took place in February and March 2022 in locations such as Belarus and Istanbul, Turkey. During these rounds of consultations, the two sides once came close to reaching a draft agreement containing content such as Ukraine's neutrality and the归属of the Donbas region, but ultimately the dialogue stalled.

Despite Ukraine's repeated denials, Russia insists on accusing Western allies of the U.S. and Europe of sabotaging the negotiations, leading to their breakdown. Putin has also repeatedly stated his willingness to negotiate on the Ukrainian issue, but the foundation for negotiations must be built on the shelved Istanbul Agreement.

According to Reuters, both parties are currently under pressure from the United States. Last week, the Trump administration threatened that if there were no substantive progress in the peace process, efforts to promote peace would be abandoned.

The report stated that after Russia proposed the "Easter ceasefire," the U.S. attitude became "optimistic." On April 20 local time, Trump posted on the "Real Social" platform, hoping that Russia and Ukraine could reach an agreement this week to end the conflict that has lasted more than three years.

"I hope Russia and Ukraine can reach an agreement this week. Then both sides can start doing big business and making a lot of money together with thriving America!"

When asked about Trump's remarks, Peskov responded, "I do not want to make any comments on this matter at present, especially regarding the timing of the content."

He said, "President Putin and the Russian side remain willing to seek peaceful solutions. We continue to cooperate with the American side. Of course, we sincerely hope that our cooperation can achieve substantial results."

At the same time, he refused to comment directly on a Bloomberg report claiming that the U.S. is prepared to recognize Russia's control over Crimea as part of a broader peace agreement.

"The work of seeking a peaceful solution cannot, and should not, be conducted in public," Peskov emphasized. "It should be advanced under complete confidentiality."

On the same day Trump made his post, U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Kellogg confirmed in an interview that the U.S. team is expected to travel to London this week to negotiate issues related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict while clearly stating that Ukraine's accession to NATO will not be considered.

In response, the Kremlin responded on Monday, saying that Trump's government's statement excluding Ukraine from NATO was satisfactory to Russia.

"We have received information from various levels in Washington that the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO has been excluded," Peskov told reporters. "Of course, this makes us satisfied because it aligns with our position."

Peskov further added that Ukraine joining the NATO alliance led by the U.S. would pose a threat to Russian interests. "In fact, this is one of the root causes of the conflict."

This article is an exclusive contribution by the Observer Network and may not be reprinted without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7495950568502903322/

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