Ukraine's Zelenskiy offers Russia more talks next week
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday (July 19, 2025) that Kyiv has sent Moscow an offer to hold another round of peace talks next week, and that he wanted to speed up negotiations for a ceasefire.
Ukraine and Russia have held two rounds of talks in Istanbul over the past five months. They have agreed to swap prisoners but made no breakthroughs in ending almost three and a half years of conflict that started with Russia's 2022 invasion.
"Everything should be done to achieve a ceasefire," Zelenskyy said in his evening address to the nation. "The Russian side should stop hiding from decisions," he added.
The President said Rustem Umerov, who headed the Ukrainian delegation at both talks in Istanbul, had sent the Russian side the offer to hold the meeting next week, but gave no more details.
Umerov, a former Defence Minister, was appointed last week as the head of the National Security and Defence Council and tasked with adding more momentum to the negotiations.
Russia has been pressing a grinding offensive along the eastern front in Ukraine's Donetsk region. It has repeatedly said it is ready for a new round of talks but has not backed down from what Kyiv and its allies describe as its maximalist war aims.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who has sharpened his tone against Russia in recent weeks amid worsening air strikes on Ukrainian cities, threatened harsher sanctions on Russia earlier this month if a peace deal was not reached within 50 days.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
16 minutes ago
- First Post
Russia pounds Ukraine with 300 drones as Zelenskyy seeks a ceasefire in 3-year-long war
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted on X that Russia fired over 300 drones, along with more than 30 cruise missiles. One person died in the Black Sea port city of Odesa, read more In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, a residential building burns following a Russian air attack in Odesa, Ukraine, Saturday, July 19, 2025. AP Russia launched a massive attack on Ukraine overnight into Saturday with hundreds of drones, killing at least one person, part of a stepped-up bombing campaign that has dashed hopes for a breakthrough in efforts to end the more than 3-year-old war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted on X that Russia fired over 300 drones, along with more than 30 cruise missiles. One person died in the Black Sea port city of Odesa, which was hit with more than 20 drones and a missile, Mayor Hennadii Trukhanov wrote on Telegram, while five people were rescued when a fire broke out in a residential high-rise building. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD According to Zelenskyy, six other people were wounded in the attack on Odesa, including a child, and critical infrastructure was damaged in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region. The Ukrainian president also thanked international leaders 'who understand how important it is to promptly implement our agreements' aimed at boosting Ukraine's defense capabilities, including joint weapons production, drone manufacturing and the supply of air defense systems. Russia has been intensifying its long-range attacks on Ukrainian cities. It now often batters Ukraine with more drones in a single night than it did during some entire months in 2024, and analysts say the barrages are likely to escalate. On July 8, Russia unleashed more than 700 drones — a record. Russia's Defense Ministry said it shot down 71 Ukrainian drones overnight into Saturday. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that 13 drones were shot down as they approached the Russian capital. In other developments, Ukraine's foreign minister accused Russia on Saturday of deporting Ukrainian citizens into Georgia and leaving them stranded without proper identification. Andrii Sybiha said Moscow has escalated the practice of expelling Ukrainians — many of whom are former prisoners — across its southern border with Georgia, instead of returning them directly to Ukraine. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Dozens of people, many of whom lack proper documentation, have been stuck in the transit zone,' he wrote on X. There was no immediate response from Moscow.
The Hindu
40 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Kremlin says Putin is ready to discuss peace in Ukraine but wants to achieve goals
Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to move toward a peace settlement for Ukraine, but Moscow's main objective is to achieve its goals, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state television in a clip published on Sunday (July 20, 2025). Mr. Peskov said that the world was now accustomed to U.S. President Donald Trump's sometimes "harsh" rhetoric but pointed out that Trump had also underscored in comments on Russia that he would continue to search for a peace deal. Also Read | Russia says it downed 142 Ukrainian drones, including 27 over Moscow region "President Putin has repeatedly spoken of his desire to bring the Ukrainian settlement to a peaceful conclusion as soon as possible. This is a long process, it requires effort, and it is not easy," Mr. Peskov said told state television reporter Pavel Zarubin. "The main thing for us is to achieve our goals. Our goals are clear," Mr. Peskov said. On Monday, Mr. Trump announced a tougher stance on Russia, pledging a new wave of military aid to Ukraine, including Patriot missile defence systems. He also gave Russia a 50-day deadline to agree to a ceasefire or face additional sanctions.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Russia-Ukraine war: Vladimir Putin ready for peace talks; sets big condition
Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready for peace talks with Ukraine but Moscow remains committed to achieving its "main goal", Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, Reuters reported citing state media on Sunday. 'President Putin has repeatedly spoken of his desire to bring the Ukrainian settlement to a peaceful conclusion as soon as possible. This is a long process, it requires effort, and it is not easy,' Peskov said. 'The main thing for us is to achieve our goals. Our goals are clear,' he added. Peskov noted that the world had grown used to US President Donald Trump 's occasionally 'harsh' rhetoric, but emphasized that Trump had also made it clear he remained committed to pursuing a peace agreement with Russia. This came after Kyiv proposed a new round of peace talks next week after negotiations got stalled in early June. "Security Council Secretary Umerov also reported that he had proposed the next meeting with the Russian side for next week. The momentum of the negotiations must be stepped up." AFP quoted Ukrainian President Zelenskyy as saying. Trump, on Monday, unveiled new weapons support for Ukraine and warned that sanctions would target buyers of Russian exports unless Moscow agreed to a peace deal within 50 days. Two rounds of negotiations in Istanbul between Moscow and Kyiv failed to produce any breakthrough toward a ceasefire, resulting instead in agreements on large-scale prisoner swaps and the repatriation of fallen soldiers' bodies.
