April 22 (UPI) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday held out the prospect of direct peace talks with Ukraine for the first time since the early days of the war amid mounting pressure on both Moscow and Kyiv from the United States to move swiftly to bring an end to the three-year-long conflict.
Putin told reporters in Moscow that ending the targeting of civilian infrastructure was one area that could be tackled in face-to-face negotiations with Kyiv.
"We have a positive attitude towards a cease-fire. That is why we have always said that we take a positive attitude to any peace initiatives. We hope that the representatives of the Kyiv regime will feel the same way," he said.
The Ukrainian administration of President Volodymyr Zelensky has been demanding Russian forces halt what he alleges are airstrikes and drone attacks purposely targeting civilians, as well as vital facilities, including hospitals, educational facilities, businesses, and transportation and energy networks.
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Putin admitted civilian infrastructure had been struck in recent attacks but insisted Ukraine had been using the facilities as cover for military activities and therefore that they were legitimate -- but said this could all be cleared up by talking.
"That's what we need to look into," he said. "It's all a subject to be thoroughly investigated. Maybe bilaterally, as a result of dialogue. We don't rule that out. So we will analyze all of this and make appropriate decisions for the future."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Putin's statements suggested he was actively floating the idea of direct talks with Ukraine about not hitting civilian targets.
Zelensky said Ukraine was "ready for any conversation" that would guarantee an end to the killing and maiming of civilians.
The olive branch from Putin came four days after both U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Donald Trump warned the United States would walk away from efforts to broker a peace deal unless there were signs of progress in a "matter of days."
It was the second move by Putin to try to address American impatience with the almost complete lack of progress since Trump launched his peace initiative in February.
On Saturday, Putin announced a 30-hour cease-fire through midnight Sunday, albeit with no advance warning, with both sides accusing each other of widespread violations of the truce.
There was no sign Tuesday, however, of any let-up in Russian attacks on the ground in Ukraine as waves of Russian missile and drone strikes that resumed early Monday after the cease-fire expired continued into a second day.
A 69-year-old woman was killed in Zaporizhzhia and 23 other people were injured, including four children, after two guided bombs slammed into a residential tower block and an infrastructure facility.
In Kharkiv, in the east of the country, at least seven people were injured in a huge drone assault on the regional capital and three people were hurt in the southwestern port city of Odessa after a drone struck an apartment building.
