Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that Ukraine has proposed holding another round of peace negotiations with Russia next week.
The announcement came just hours after Russian forces launched another widespread drone assault across Ukraine, causing additional fatalities.
Although recent discussions between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul have taken place, no meaningful progress towards ending the conflict—which began with Russia’s invasion in 2022—has been achieved.
Zelenskyy emphasized the urgent need to pursue a ceasefire, stating, “Every possible measure must be taken to secure a ceasefire.”
Previous negotiations held in Istanbul failed to deliver significant advances towards peace, instead resulting only in prisoner exchanges and arrangements to repatriate fallen soldiers.
In his nightly address, Zelenskyy noted that Security Council Secretary Umerov had officially proposed the next round of talks with Russia for the upcoming week.
“We need to accelerate the momentum of these negotiations,” he added.
Zelenskyy also restated his willingness to meet directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin, stressing that a direct conversation between the two leaders was necessary to secure a lasting peace agreement.
During earlier discussions, Russia presented stringent demands, including territorial concessions by Ukraine and an end to Western military support, which Kyiv rejected as unacceptable. Ukraine previously questioned the purpose of further talks if Moscow remained unwilling to compromise.
Earlier this month, the Kremlin indicated its openness to continue negotiations following a 50-day deadline issued by US President Donald Trump, who threatened additional sanctions on Russia if no peace deal was reached.
Trump also committed to providing Ukraine with additional military assistance funded by NATO allies, in response to the intensifying Russian aerial assaults.
Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, reiterated the urgency of obtaining more military equipment from Australia, highlighting the daily casualties occurring due to delays in weaponry provision.
“Every day without these tanks on the battlefield results in more Ukrainian deaths,” Myroshnychenko emphasized.
Russian drone and missile attacks killed three people on Saturday, as part of a continued escalation of strikes across Ukrainian cities.
Two fatalities occurred in Ukraine’s central industrial region of Dnipropetrovsk following a Russian missile strike. An earlier drone assault on the port city of Odesa resulted in at least one additional fatality.
Additionally, overnight railway services in Russia’s southern Rostov region were disrupted for around four hours due to a Ukrainian drone strike that injured one railway employee.
Both Ukraine and Russia have intensified their use of low-cost drones, deploying large numbers daily in attempts to overwhelm each other’s air defenses.
Meanwhile, concerns have surfaced that Kazakhstan might become Russia’s next military target, amid growing evidence of Moscow’s expanding influence and cultural suppression in the country.
As part of ongoing Istanbul-mediated agreements, Ukraine received the remains of 1,000 soldiers on Thursday, while Russia reported receiving 19 bodies from Ukraine.
On Friday, the European Union introduced its 18th sanctions package against Russia, aimed at restricting Russian banks and tightening controls on oil exports to diminish Moscow’s ability to finance its ongoing aggression.
