The US Vice President J D Vance called for direct negotiations on Wednesday.
We believe it is probably impossible for us to mediate this entirely without at least some direct talks between the two. So that's what we're focusing on, said Vance at a security conference in Washington.
The US, which has held separate talks with both Kyiv and Moscow to end the conflict, has threatened to leave the process if no progress is made soon.
Not Pessimistic
Vance further believes that the Russians "are asking for too much" in connection with the first peace proposal. At the same time, he says he is not pessimistic about the possibility of a peace agreement and that the Russians "are not uninterested" in finding a solution.
The Russians are asking for a certain set of demands, a certain set of concessions to end the conflict. We think they're asking for too much, he says.
Russia has declared a unilateral ceasefire, which according to the Kremlin will apply between Thursday and Saturday, in connection with Russia celebrating the Victory Day after World War II with, among other things, a large military parade.
At Least Two Dead in Attacks
At least two people are reported to have been killed and many injured in Russian drone attacks on Kyiv early on Wednesday, according to Kyiv's military leadership.
The attacks, according to The Kyiv Independent, targeted several different locations in Kyiv. A large number of buildings are reported to have been damaged. According to the authorities, at least one ballistic rocket and 28 Russian drones were registered in Kyiv's airspace.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, in turn, is calling for increased pressure on Russia.
"Only significantly increased pressure on Russia and stronger sanctions can pave the way for diplomacy", he wrote in social media.
