"Ukraine for peace, not its imitation" – Zelenskyy's aide on talks without ceasefire

He made the remarks in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.

According to Yermak, years of experience negotiating with the Russian side have shown a consistent pattern of stalling tactics.

“Ukraine is committed above all to a just and lasting peace. And we say that clearly and consistently at every level. That’s why we continue to emphasize: Ukraine is ready for any format of negotiations. We won’t give Russia an excuse to accuse us of disrupting the peace process,” Yermak said.

However, he stressed that Ukraine will continue to insist that any genuine readiness from Russia to engage in talks must be demonstrated by agreeing to a 30-day ceasefire.

“We will continue to insist: if Russia is truly ready for negotiations, it must accept the proposal from the U.S. and European partners for a comprehensive 30-day ceasefire. This position has been clearly outlined, and we have communicated it repeatedly to our partners,” he added.

In his view, the next move now depends on the Kremlin.

“The ball is in Moscow’s court. If the Kremlin is genuinely interested in peace, it knows what needs to be done. Ukraine is for peace—but not for its imitation,” Yermak concluded.

• In a nighttime address on May 11, Russian leader Vladimir Putin claimed he was ready for direct talks with Ukraine in Turkey next week, but he dismissed the idea of a 30-day truce. In response, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would keep working with both sides and predicted that the coming week would be “great.”