In an effort to remove obstacles to a peace settlement, Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that he wants a ceasefire with Russia before a possible summit meeting with President Vladimir Putin, with the US acting as a mediator.
Speaking at a media briefing in Kyiv, Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine is ready to meet at any time from next Monday at a venue such as Istanbul, the Vatican or Switzerland.
“Why a ceasefire before the leaders’ meeting? Because if we meet and there is no mutual understanding, no willingness or vision on how to end this, then the ceasefire would end that same day.
“But if we see readiness to continue the dialogue and take real steps toward de-escalation, then the ceasefire would be extended with US mediation guarantees.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
The Russian President, however, showed no willingness to meet with Zelenskyy, expressing anger about what he said were Ukraine’s recent “terrorist acts” on Russian rail lines in the Kursk and Bryansk regions on the countries’ border.
Putin asked in a video call with top Russian officials, “How can any such (summit) meetings be conducted in such circumstances? What shall we talk about?”
He accused Ukraine of seeking a truce only to replenish its stockpiles of Western arms, recruit more soldiers and prepare new attacks like those in Kursk and Bryansk.
Russia and Ukraine have established red lines that make a quick deal unlikely, despite a US-led international diplomatic push to stop the fighting.
Russia and Ukraine exchanged memorandums setting out their conditions for a ceasefire for discussion at Monday’s direct peace talks between delegations in Istanbul, their second meeting in just over two weeks.
The Kremlin’s Istanbul proposal contained a list of demands that Kyiv and its Western allies see as nonstarters. At the briefing, Zelenskyy dismissed Russia’s ceasefire proposal.
He asserted that the second round of talks in Istanbul was no different from the first meeting on May 16, 2025. Zelenskyy described the latest negotiations in Istanbul as “a political performance” and “artificial diplomacy” designed to stall for time, delay sanctions and convince the United States that Russia is engaged in dialogue.
“The same ultimatums they voiced back then — now they just put them on paper … Honestly, this document looks like spam. It’s spam meant to flood us and create the impression that they’re doing something.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
He added that the 2025 talks in Istanbul carry “the same content and spirit” as the fruitless negotiations held in the Turkish city in the early days of the war.
Little Value In Continuing Talks At The Current Level Of Delegations
Moreover, the Ukrainian leader said that he sees little value in continuing talks at the current level of delegations.
Ukraine’s Defense Minister, Rustem Umerov led the Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul, while Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Putin, headed the Russian team.
An analysis published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank, claims that the Kremlin is hoping for US disengagement while avoiding further sanctions. “Without serious pain, Putin will continue to drag the peace talks out, keep fighting, and wait for the United States to walk away,” it said.
The second round of peace talks on Monday between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul lasted just over an hour and made no progress on ending the war.
They agreed only to swap thousands of their dead and seriously wounded troops.
Also, Zelenskyy pointed out that a new prisoner exchange with Russia could take place over the weekend.
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