Ukraine Proposes Peace Talks with Russia Next Week July 19, 2025 Kyiv, Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodym

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📰 Ukraine Proposes Peace Talks with Russia Next Week
🗓️ July 19, 2025
📍 Kyiv, Ukraine

📄Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on July 19 that Ukraine has officially proposed new peace talks with Russia to be held next week. The announcement came amid renewed international pressure to end the war, now in its fourth year.

In a televised address, President Zelensky stated that Rustem Umerov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC), has extended a formal offer for bilateral talks, emphasizing, “We must accelerate momentum for negotiations.”

Zelensky reiterated his call for a direct summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, suggesting either a bilateral or trilateral meeting involving U.S. President Donald Trump. “A high-level summit is necessary to build a genuine and lasting peace,” he said.

The Ukrainian offer follows President Trump’s ultimatum five days earlier, in which he warned of imposing a 100% “secondary tariff” on Russia’s trading partners if a ceasefire agreement is not reached within 50 days. Trump has also resumed arms transfers to Ukraine, conditional upon European nations providing financial support.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova confirmed on July 17 that Moscow is prepared to send a delegation to Istanbul for what would be the third round of face-to-face negotiations.

Russian sources told RIA Novosti that preparations for additional talks had been ongoing for some time, expressing hope that a concrete date would soon be established.

Russia and Ukraine last held in-person peace negotiations in Istanbul on May 16 and June 2. Those talks resulted only in limited agreements, including prisoner and remains exchanges, without substantive progress toward ending the conflict.

The upcoming meeting, if confirmed, would mark the first direct peace negotiations between the two sides in over three years since the initial talks in March 2022 following the war’s outbreak.

If talks proceed, they may initially focus on humanitarian measures, such as continued prisoner exchanges, before addressing broader ceasefire terms. However, political divergence between Kyiv and Moscow—and preconditions involving U.S. and European participation—could limit immediate breakthroughs. The proposed involvement of President Trump may shift the diplomatic balance and increase the chances of high-profile engagement.

Ukraine’s proposal indicates a strategic pivot aimed at breaking the current diplomatic impasse. With mounting global pressure and domestic fatigue on both sides, the talks may serve as a critical juncture in determining whether a political resolution remains possible or if prolonged stalemate lies ahead.

Reported from Kyiv, Ukraine – World News War Correspondence Desk

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