Ukraine announces peace talks plan; Russia signals positive stance on any peace initiative

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Ukraine announces peace talks plan; Russia signals positive stance on any peace initiative

2025-04-22 09:19 Last Updated At：13:07

Ukraine on Monday announced the plan to hold peace talks in the United Kingdom, while Russia on the same day confirmed its commitment to pursuing a diplomatic solution to the crisis.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Monday that Ukraine will hold peace talks with the United Kingdom, France, and the United States in London on Wednesday.

"We are ready to move forward as constructively as possible, to achieve an unconditional ceasefire, followed by the establishment of a real and lasting peace," Zelensky wrote on social media platform X after "a good and detailed" phone talks with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday confirmed that Russia is open to pursuing a diplomatic solution to the crisis, but refrained from giving a particular timeframe.

In a post on Truth Social on Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed hope that Russia and Ukraine would make a deal this week.

Peskov stressed that efforts and ongoing work aimed at finding a peaceful solution to the conflict must be conducted privately, cautioning against information leaks.

He also welcomed the U.S. statement indicating it does not support Ukraine's accession to NATO.

In an evening address on Monday, Zelensky said Ukraine maintains its offer not to strike at civilian infrastructure and expects a clear response from Russia. He added that Ukraine is ready for any dialogue on how to ensure this commitment.

The most reliable way is to stop missile and long-range drone strikes, which would automatically guarantee the preservation of all civilian infrastructure, Zelensky said.

On the day earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin said they treat any peace initiative positively and they hope that the representatives of the government in Kiev will treat this the same way.

Regarding the proposal to refrain from striking civilian infrastructure targets, Putin said the matter requires thorough examination, possibly even through bilateral dialogue. They will analyze all such instances and make appropriate decisions for the future.

Evacuees in Lebanon stranded as displacements soar

Thousands of Lebanese displaced by Israeli attacks have been stranded in public shelters with harsh living conditions, with the Lebanese government worrying that it will be unable to shelter such a huge number of evacuees as the conflict continues.

Lebanese health authorities report on Friday that 217 people have been killed since Israel's expanded attacks on Monday, with other 798 being injured. More than 95,000 people have been displaced.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Friday warned of unprecedented humanitarian consequences. The UN human rights office has condemned Israel's ground incursions, displacement orders, and continued airstrikes across Lebanon.

A public building in Beirut that has opened its doors to receive Lebanese people fleeing the fighting in southern Lebanon, and Beirut's southern district is accommodating about 3,000 people of 500 families.

They all arrived in the same brief time period, creating shock for a government that doesn't have enough supplies, in part because the U.S.-Israel war on Iran is locking down the entire region, so Lebanese people don't have any other place to go, stranded with no food or money and with very little time to evacuate from their homes.

There is almost no privacy at the shelter, with men and women all sleeping together on the floor or on the tiles, without a bed sheet or a pillow in the winter.

Saida, a city to the south of Beirut, is one of the main cities to which displaced people have run. Suspending education, the city has opened all its schools to receive scores of displaced citizens, with numbers far exceeding those in Beirut.

The Lebanese government is worried that an extended conflict will result in more displaced people than the government can handle.

Meanwhile, casualties have been rising since the Israeli military launched a new wave of attacks against targets of Lebanon's Hezbollah group on Monday. This week's escalating conflict comes after Israel and the United States launched joint military actions against Iran on Feb 28.