**Ukraine Leader Says Russia Now Open to Ceasefire as World Leaders Pursue Peace Talks**
In a significant development in the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed discussions about holding a trilateral summit among world leaders to bring an end to the war. This comes after Moscow confirmed plans for a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to Zelensky, the Ukrainian government is not afraid of meetings and expects the same brave approach from Russia. “It’s time we ended the war,” he said in a statement on social media platform X. The Ukrainian leader also expressed cautious optimism about the progress of peace talks, saying that “Russia now seems to be more inclined toward a ceasefire.”
The discussions between world leaders are part of efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war. Zelensky had a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron to share Ukraine’s perspective on the discussions with Trump and European leaders. The U.S. president initially praised the meeting between special envoy Steve Witkoff and Putin as “highly productive” but later declined to call it a breakthrough, noting that additional U.S. secondary tariffs on Russia’s trading partners are likely to be imposed.
The world leaders’ efforts to end the war come as the conflict has been ongoing for months. Kyiv has repeatedly called for a leader-level meeting between Zelensky and Putin in recent months, calling it the only path toward a lasting resolution of the war. The Kremlin’s chief has so far refused to meet Zelensky and instead dispatched lower-level officials to peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul.
In a statement on X, Zelensky said that further talks with Ukraine’s partners are scheduled later on August 7, including an online meeting of national security advisors and talks with Italian and French officials. He also stressed that Europe must be part of the peace process as “war is happening in Europe, and Ukraine is an integral part of Europe.”
The pressure from world leaders may finally be working to bring Russia to the negotiating table. The United States has threatened to impose fresh sanctions on Moscow unless it agrees to cease hostilities. With these developments, one can only hope that a peaceful resolution is possible.
**Key Developments:**
* Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirms discussions about holding a trilateral summit among world leaders to bring an end to the war.
* The U.S. president initially praised the meeting between special envoy Steve Witkoff and Putin as “highly productive” but later declined to call it a breakthrough, noting that additional U.S. secondary tariffs on Russia’s trading partners are likely to be imposed.
* Zelensky stressed that Europe must be part of the peace process as “war is happening in Europe, and Ukraine is an integral part of Europe.”
**What’s Next:**
The fate of the trilateral summit remains uncertain, but one thing is clear – the world is watching.