Russia has said Mr Zelensky’s peace talk offer is a positive and welcomed idea, referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s stated willingness to negotiate for peace, calling it a “positive’’ step.

But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov questioned the practicality of such talks, noting that Mr Zelensky had legally barred negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin through a decree he signed in 2022.

“So, in general, the approach is positive, but the nuances have not yet changed. For the time being, there’s still a legal ban on the president of Ukraine negotiating with the Russian side,’’ Mr Peskov said.

Mr Zelensky said on Tuesday that he was ready to work under U.S. President Donald Trump’s “strong leadership’’ to achieve a lasting peace in Ukraine.

The readiness to work was reported days after they had an explosive Oval Office meeting in which Mr Zelensky called Mr Putin a “killer and terrorist.’’

The fiery exchange led Mr Trump to pause U.S. military aid to Ukraine as a pressure tactic to get him to move toward a quick end to the war launched by Russia.

Mr Peskov also responded to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s offer to host negotiations in Minsk, calling it “the best place due to Belarus being Russia’s most important ally.’’

However, Ukraine views Belarus as a warring party, given its role in facilitating Russian military actions, making such a venue unlikely. 

(dpa/NAN)