Kyiv- Ukraine is prepared to hold direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to address their territorial dispute, according to First Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Kislitsa. He said President Volodymyr Zelensky is ready for such discussions, with the current frontline serving as the starting point for negotiations.

Speaking to NBC News on Friday, Kislitsa stressed that Ukrainians strongly oppose giving up land in exchange for peace. “President Zelensky made it clear he is ready to sit down with President Putin and discuss it, and the beginning of the conversations on the territorial issue is the contact line that is currently there,” he said.

Although Zelensky has publicly rejected territorial concessions, some reports suggest he may consider freezing the current front lines as part of a possible settlement.

Kislitsa also noted that the United States is working on drafting security guarantees for Ukraine, with the first draft expected soon. European nations are likely to provide most of the forces for such guarantees, while the US could oversee overall command.

Moscow has said it does not rule out security guarantees for Ukraine but opposes the deployment of Western troops there. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that a Zelensky-Putin meeting is possible, but key issues must first be resolved. Russia has also questioned Zelensky’s authority to sign binding agreements, since his presidential term expired more than a year ago.