Zelenskyy: Ukraine proposes new round of peace talks with Russia next week

Ukraine has proposed resuming peace talks with Russia as early as next week, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced, signaling renewed diplomatic movement after negotiations stalled in early June.

“Security Council Secretary [Rustem] Umerov also reported that he had proposed the next meeting with the Russian side for next week,” Zelenskyy said on Saturday. “The momentum of the negotiations must be stepped up.”

The development comes amid renewed international calls to revive diplomatic efforts to end the ongoing war, now in its third year. Although details of the proposal remain undisclosed, the overture marks the first public indication from Kiev of its willingness to reengage Moscow since the previous round of indirect talks faltered.

Istanbul talks 

Türkiye has repeatedly positioned itself as a key diplomatic channel between the two warring sides. ​​

On May 15, Istanbul hosted the first direct contact between Russian and Ukrainian officials since the collapse of peace talks in 2022, aimed at ending the biggest military conflict in Europe since World War II.

After two rounds of negotiations in Istanbul in May and June, Russia and Ukraine agreed on a prisoner exchange based on the formula "one thousand for one thousand," as well as the return of severely ill and young servicemen under age 25.

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Source: TRT