Peace talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations via a video link resumed on Tuesday. Ukrainian officials played up hopes the war could end sooner than expected, saying Moscow may be coming to terms with its failure to impose a new government on Kyiv by force.

In a hint of compromise, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Kyiv was prepared to accept security guarantees that stop short of its long-term objective of membership of the NATO alliance, which Moscow opposes.

POSITIVE SIGNS

Zelenskiy, who has won admiration in the West for his leadership under fire, called on Russian troops to surrender.

“You will not take anything from Ukraine. You will take lives,” he said in a video message. “But why should you die? What for? I know that you want to survive.”

He also indicated Kyiv might be ready to compromise on its aspirations for NATO membership, an aim that has riled Moscow.

“If we cannot enter through open doors, then we must cooperate with the associations with which we can, which will help us, protect us...and have separate guarantees.”

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said it was too early to predict progress in the talks: “The work is difficult, and in the current situation the very fact that (the talks) are continuing is probably positive.”

One of Zelenskiy’s top aides said the war would be over by May or even within weeks as Russia had run out of fresh troops.

“We are at a fork in the road now,” Oleksiy Arestovich said in a video. He said he expected either a peace deal within one or two weeks or another Russian attempt with new reinforcements, which could prolong the conflict for another month.

At the United Nations, Russian envoy Vassily Nebenzia said Moscow would end what it calls its “special military operation” when its goals were achieved.

Reuters