Ukraine has proposed to carry a brand new spherical of peace talks with Russia subsequent week after negotiations stalled final month.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed on Saturday that Defence Council secretary Rustem Umerov made the supply of a gathering with Russian negotiators for subsequent week.
“Every thing needs to be completed to realize a ceasefire,” Zelenskyy stated in his night tackle to the nation. “The Russian aspect ought to cease hiding from choices.”
Ukraine’s chief additionally reiterated his readiness to have a face-to-face sit-down with Putin. “A gathering on the management stage is required to really guarantee peace – lasting peace,” he stated.
There was no speedy response from Russia.
Secretary of the NSDC proposed a brand new assembly with Russia subsequent week. They need to cease hiding from choices. Ceasefire. Prisoner exchanges. Return of kids. Finish to the killings. And a gathering on the stage of leaders is required to really guarantee a long-lasting peace. Ukraine is prepared. pic.twitter.com/ksH7FzxnAE
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 19, 2025
Umerov, a former defence minister, was appointed final week as the pinnacle of the Nationwide Safety and Defence Council and tasked with including extra momentum to the negotiations.
He headed his nation’s delegation in two earlier rounds of talks in Turkiye earlier this 12 months, which yielded little greater than an settlement to trade prisoners and troopers’ stays.
In earlier rounds, Russia outlined a listing of hardline calls for that weren’t acceptable to Ukraine, calling on it to cede 4 Ukrainian areas it claims as its personal and reject Western navy assist.
Nonetheless, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Friday indicated that Moscow agreed with a press release by Zelenskyy that peace efforts wanted “extra momentum”.
The shift got here after United States President Donald Trump, who initially appeared to undertake a conciliatory strategy in the direction of Russia after coming into workplace, upped the strain on Moscow.
This week, Trump set a 50-day deadline for Moscow to succeed in a ceasefire in Ukraine or face “100% tariffs” and the prospect of secondary sanctions being imposed on international locations that purchase Russian oil.
He additionally promised to ramp up arms shipments to the war-battered nation.
Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for the ministry, stated on Thursday that Russia wouldn’t settle for the “blackmail” of Washington’s sanctions ultimatum, and the choice to renew weapons deliveries was a sign to Ukraine to “abandon the peace course of”.
Ongoing trade of fireside
Kyiv prolonged its invitation for extra talks with Moscow after Russian forces staged a large drone assault on the Ukrainian Black Sea port metropolis of Odesa early on Saturday, killing at the very least one resident and injuring six others, in response to Zelenskyy.
Posting on X on Saturday, the Ukrainian president stated Russia launched greater than 30 missiles and 300 drones throughout its in a single day assault that affected 10 areas of the nation.
Russia, in the meantime, needed to droop trains for about 4 hours in a single day within the southern Rostov area when it got here underneath a Ukrainian drone assault, which injured one railway employee.
On Saturday, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated on Telegram that Russian air defence techniques shot down three drones en path to the town.
Two Moscow airports – Vnukovo and Domodedovo – suspended arrivals and departures for security causes, however later resumed operations, Russian aviation watchdog Rosaviatsia stated.
The Russian Defence Ministry stated its air defence techniques intercepted and destroyed 27 Ukrainian drones in complete from 3pm to 7pm Moscow time (12:00-16:00 GMT).
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has led to Europe’s bloodiest battle since World Battle II, with estimates suggesting 1.2 million folks have been wounded or killed.
