Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday there is a chance of reaching a deal to end the war in Ukraine, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said U.S. negotiators will soon visit both Moscow and Kyiv. Putin also accused Ukraine of state terrorism over attacks on merchant ships, a claim he says complicates the talks.
Putin, speaking at an economic forum in Russia's far east, said several countries, including the U.S. and China, are ready to support a peace settlement. He added that the problem must ultimately be resolved by Russia and Ukraine themselves. According to Reuters: "Is there a chance? In my view, yes, there is."
Zelenskiy confirms upcoming US visit
In Kyiv, Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address that preliminary dates have been set for a visit by U.S. negotiators, with meetings expected in both Moscow and Kyiv in the coming days. U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who have led the effort to broker an agreement, were last in Moscow in January and have yet to visit Kyiv. In Washington, President Donald Trump told GB News he wants to see the war end, a day after saying he wants a summit with Putin once the Kremlin leader is ready for a deal.
Attacks complicate the outlook
The upbeat tone is rare after four and a half years of conflict; the two sides last held U.S.-mediated talks in February. Since then, both Russia and Ukraine have ramped up long-range air attacks deep inside the other's territory, and hostilities at sea have escalated sharply, pushing up global grain prices. Putin said Ukrainian attacks on civilian merchant ships and reported threats against civilian aircraft amount to state terrorism that complicates the prospects for bilateral talks.
Zelenskiy this week warned airlines and insurers that Ukrainian drones have made Russian skies dangerous, though he said Ukraine will target only Russian military facilities. On Wednesday, Ukraine urged the U.N.'s aviation agency to ask members to ban operations in Russian airspace.
Putin said contacts with Ukraine continue mostly through intelligence channels, though he said it is difficult to say whether they are moving toward a peace agreement given recent statements from Kyiv's leadership. Chicago wheat futures dropped more than 2% on Putin's comments.
Source: Investing.com (Reuters)
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