Kyiv signals readiness for talks as Moldova leaves the CIS
A look back at two developments in early April 2026: Ukraine's offer of another round of peace talks and Moldova's parliamentary vote to quit the Commonwealth of Independent States.
What did the first days of April 2026 reveal about the diplomatic mood around the war in Ukraine? On 8 April 2026, two recent developments stood out: Kyiv's stated openness to further peace talks, and Moldova's decision to leave a Russia-led regional grouping.
Kyiv open to another round
On 4 April 2026, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine was willing to hold the next round of peace talks with Russia and the United States. The statement came amid continuing negotiations over ending the war that began with Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The positions of the two sides were well established. Zelenskyy has sought a ceasefire, a full withdrawal of Russian troops, the return of prisoners and of kidnapped Ukrainian children, prosecution of Russian leaders for war crimes, and security guarantees against further aggression. Russian president Vladimir Putin has sought recognition of all occupied land as Russian, guarantees that Ukraine will never join NATO, limits on Ukraine's military and the lifting of sanctions on Russia.
Moldova turns away from the CIS
On 2 April 2026, Moldova's parliament approved the country's withdrawal from the Commonwealth of Independent States. The government argued that the organisation's core values and principles, including territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders, were no longer respected. It pointed to Russia's actions in the region, among them the war against Ukraine and an illegal military presence on Moldovan territory.
The vote was also linked in reporting to Moldova's accession to the European Union.
