Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has proposed a meeting with Russian officials next week to advance ceasefire negotiations, amid growing US pressure on Moscow to reach a settlement.
In his daily address on Saturday, Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Rustem Umerov, had formally suggested the talks.
“The dynamics of the negotiations must improve,” Zelenskyy said. “We need to do everything possible to achieve a ceasefire. The Russian side must stop avoiding decisions regarding prisoner exchanges, the return of children, and the cessation of killings.”
Zelenskyy stressed the need for a leadership-level meeting to move the process forward. “Ukraine is ready for such a meeting,” he said.
Russian state media TASS reported that a source close to the Russian delegation confirmed receipt of Kyiv’s proposal. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian media on Sunday that Russia was prepared to move quickly toward a deal but emphasized that its main objective remained unchanged.
“President Putin has repeatedly expressed his desire to transition the Ukrainian settlement process into a peaceful track as soon as possible,” Peskov said. “It’s a lengthy process that requires effort, and it’s not simple.”
The last round of ceasefire talks was held in Istanbul in early June, lasting just over an hour. Talks ended without progress after Russia reportedly presented extensive territorial demands, which Ukraine has consistently refused to accept.
Zelenskyy’s renewed call for talks follows US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a 50-day deadline for a ceasefire deal. Trump warned that if no agreement is reached within that period, the US would impose heavy tariffs on Russian goods and on imports from countries that continue buying Russian oil.
“We’re going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don’t have a deal in 50 days,” Trump said during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte earlier this week. “I use trade for a lot of things but it’s great for settling wars.”
Despite Trump’s warning, Western analysts and Ukrainian officials remain skeptical that the ultimatum will influence Russia’s strategy, especially as Russian forces intensify their summer offensive.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov dismissed Trump’s threat, calling it political theater. “Fifty days, it used to be 24 hours,” Lavrov said, “It also used to be 100 days. We’ve been through all of this.”