Ukraine and Russia have held two rounds of talks in Istanbul over the previous 5 months
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned on Saturday (July 19, 2025) that Kyiv has despatched Moscow a proposal to carry one other spherical of peace talks next week, and that he wished to hurry up negotiations for a ceasefire.
Ukraine and Russia have held two rounds of talks in Istanbul over the previous 5 months. They have agreed to swap prisoners however made no breakthroughs in ending virtually three and a half years of battle that began with Russia’s 2022 invasion.
“Everything should be done to achieve a ceasefire,” Zelenskyy mentioned in his night tackle to the nation. “The Russian side should stop hiding from decisions,” he added.
The President mentioned Rustem Umerov, who headed the Ukrainian delegation at each talks in Istanbul, had despatched the Russian aspect the provide to carry the assembly next week, however gave no more particulars.
Umerov, a former Defence Minister, was appointed final week as the pinnacle of the National Security and Defence Council and tasked with including more momentum to the negotiations.
Russia has been urgent a grinding offensive alongside the jap entrance in Ukraine’s Donetsk area. It has repeatedly mentioned it’s prepared for a brand new spherical of talks however has not backed down from what Kyiv and its allies describe as its maximalist warfare goals.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who has sharpened his tone in opposition to Russia in current weeks amid worsening air strikes on Ukrainian cities, threatened harsher sanctions on Russia earlier this month if a peace deal was not reached inside 50 days.
