Putin said on Monday that “[Russia takes] a positive attitude to any peace initiatives,” CNN reported, adding, “We hope that the representatives of the Kyiv regime will feel the same way.”

Russia and Ukraine have not held bilateral talks in years.

“We have a positive attitude toward a ceasefire,” Putin added, referencing the surprise 30-hour Easter truce. Both sides accused the other of launching attacks during it.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said there were nearly 3,000 violations of the short truce, including nearly 100 assaults along the front lines, more than 1,880 instances of shelling, and more.

The Russian leader also expressed a possible willingness to stop attacks on civilian infrastructure, though Putin has long claimed that Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure were not what they seemed. His spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, later said there are “no concrete plans yet” for such a deal.

“First of all, this should be discussed, and President Putin has expressed his readiness to do so. But we need to understand whether the Ukrainian side is ready for it,” Peskov said. “When the president said that it is necessary to discuss the suspension of attacks on civilian facilities, including in bilateral contacts, he meant direct talks with the Ukrainian side.”

A Russian attack on Palm Sunday in Sumy killed 34 people, injuring an additional 117. It’s the latest devastating strike in a war that’s left hundreds of thousands, if not more than a million, people killed or wounded, many of whom were far from the front lines of the war. Putin said the attack hit a civilian building, but Ukrainian armed forces were holding an award ceremony there at the time.

Russia currently occupies about a fifth of Ukraine’s territory and continues to make incremental gains along the front lines. Ukraine also holds a small portion of Russian territory in the Kursk region.

“Indeed, there were no air raid alerts on Easter, and some sectors of the front line remained quiet. This proves it is possible — it’s possible when Russia chooses to reduce the killing,” Zelensky said. “Nevertheless, Ukraine stands by its offer — at the very least, not to strike civilian infrastructure. And we expect a clear answer from Moscow. We are ready for any conversation on how to ensure this.”

The administration has said patience is wearing thin on Russia’s continued slow playing of negotiations.

“We’re not going to continue with this endeavor for weeks and months on end,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters last week after meeting with Ukrainian and European officials in Paris, France. “So we need to determine very quickly now, and I’m talking about a matter of days, whether or not this is doable in the next few weeks.”

The same day, Trump affirmed Rubio’s stance but didn’t outline a time frame.

“No specific number of days, but quickly we want to get it done,” Trump said when asked how many days he would allow for negotiation. “Now, if for some reason, one of the two parties makes it very difficult, we’re just going to say you’re foolish, you’re fools, you’re horrible people. And we’re going to just take a pass. But hopefully we won’t have to do that.”

“My whole life has been one big negotiation, and I know when people are playing us, and I know when they’re not,” he continued. “And I have to see an enthusiasm to want to end it. And I think I see that enthusiasm. I think I see it from both sides.”

TRUMP SAYS UKRAINE TALKS ‘COMING TO A HEAD,’ DENIES PUTIN IS ‘PLAYING’ HIM

U.S., European, and Ukrainian officials are set to meet this week in London. Rubio and envoy Steve Witkoff, who was in Russia last week, will attend.

“Ukrainian representatives — both at the meetings held in Paris and at the meetings scheduled this week in London — will have a primary task regarding an unconditional ceasefire. That must be the starting point,” Zelensky said. “Peace begins in silence.”