Just when you think the script couldn’t twist any further, Vladimir Putin, the man who kicked off Europe’s most devastating conflict in decades, has suggested he’s ready to talk peace with Ukraine. But there’s a catch. Even as he spoke of dialogue, Russian missiles were still raining down on Ukrainian cities.
In an interview on state television on Monday, Putin said Russia had “always looked positively on any peace initiatives”. He added, with what some might call calculated optimism, “We hope that representatives of the Kyiv regime will feel the same way”.
On the surface, that sounds like a major shift. It’s the first time Putin has floated the idea of direct talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky since the earliest days of the war. But scratch beneath that diplomatic veneer, and a familiar pattern emerges, words of peace, followed by violence.
The Bombs Haven’t Stopped
Just hours after Putin’s comments, Russian attacks continued across Ukraine. In Zaporizhzhia, a strike on an apartment block killed a woman and injured 20 others, including four children. In Kharkiv, a massive daytime drone assault left at least seven people wounded.
The pattern didn’t stop there. President Zelensky reported more strikes on Odesa, Sumy, Donetsk, and other southern regions. A five-storey block of flats in Odesa was hit late Monday night, injuring three more civilians.
For Zelensky, these attacks are clear signs of Russia’s intentions. He described the wave of assaults as “deliberate Russian terror”, which could be halted instantly “by a single order”.
That “order” was briefly tested over the Easter weekend when a truce, albeit short-lived, meant no airstrikes in Ukraine. Encouraged by that lull, Zelensky has proposed a 30-day ceasefire: a halt to long-range drone and missile strikes on civilian infrastructure.
Putin’s Calculated Response
Putin’s remarks on Monday were widely seen as a response to Zelensky’s proposal. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later clarified that Putin was suggesting direct talks focused specifically on halting attacks against civilian targets.
But there’s scepticism. In a rare moment of honesty, Putin admitted earlier this month that a deadly missile strike on a congress centre in Sumy, where 35 people were killed and over 100 injured, did indeed hit a civilian site.
“It was a civilian facility,” he conceded. However, he quickly added that the building was hosting a medal ceremony for Ukrainian troops, hinting it was a legitimate military target in the eyes of the Kremlin.
That attack marked the deadliest strike on civilians this year and came as people gathered in Sumy’s city centre to celebrate Palm Sunday.
Diplomacy on the Table, But Will It Stick?
All eyes now turn to diplomatic meetings set for London this Wednesday, where Ukraine will sit down with US and European leaders following earlier talks in Paris. Zelensky says the “primary task” is clear: push for an unconditional ceasefire.
Even US President Joe Biden is cautiously optimistic, though he recently warned he might step back from peace negotiations altogether if progress stalls.
Still, some leaders remain unconvinced by Russia’s intentions. France’s foreign minister called Moscow’s 30-hour Easter truce little more than a PR stunt aimed at keeping Western patience, particularly that of Donald Trump, from running out.
So, is Putin’s olive branch genuine? Or just another play in the Kremlin’s long game? The world watches, and Ukraine waits.
