US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff is to go to Moscow this week, the White House said, and a US envoy was to take part in new talks with European officials in London on Wednesday.
“After the ceasefire, we are ready to sit down in any format,“ Zelensky told journalists at a briefing a day before the key talks in London on a potential Ukraine settlement.
Trump said at the weekend that he hoped a peace deal could be struck “this week” despite no signs the two sides were close even to a ceasefire, let alone a long-term settlement.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that the conflict was too “complex” to achieve a speedy ceasefire.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt confirmed Witkoff would be travelling to Moscow, his fourth visit to Russia since Trump took office.
Trump “has grown frustrated with both sides of this war, and he’s made that very known.”
After rejecting a US-Ukrainian offer for an unconditional ceasefire last month, Putin announced a surprise Easter weekend truce. Fighting dipped during the 30-hour period but Russia launched fresh attacks on residential areas on Monday and Tuesday, Ukrainian officials said.
Zelensky has said at least 155 Chinese were fighting with the Russian army -- two of whom have been detained by Ukraine -- and that he had “information” that China was supplying arms to Russia. China last week denied providing weapons.
London meeting
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will not attend the London talks due to scheduling issues, the State Department said, adding that US envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg would take part.
Zelensky said his team’s “first priority” at the London talks would be “an unconditional ceasefire”.
While saying he would “analyse” the idea, Putin threw doubt on it later by accusing Kyiv of using civilian facilities for military purposes.
“If we are talking about civilian infrastructure, then we need to understand, when is it civilian infrastructure and when is it a military target,“ he added.
Russia hit a residential area in the eastern Ukrainian city of Myrnograd with drones Tuesday, killing three people and wounding two, authorities said.
Photos from Ukraine’s emergency services showed the outer walls of an apartment block blown open and a bloodied man on a stretcher, with bandages around his head and arms.
The Russian army meanwhile claimed to have captured a village in the eastern Donetsk region, where its troops are advancing.
There were no ongoing discussions on any new US aid packages with the Trump administration, Zelensky said.
In Paris last week, Rubio presented Washington’s plan for ending the conflict, though both he and Trump warned that Washington’s patience was wearing thin and could lead it to withdraw.
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