Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that a third round of peace talks between Ukrainian and Russian representatives is set to occur in Turkey later this week.
“Today, I talked about the preparations being made by Rustem Umerov, the secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, for another meeting with the Russian side. He mentioned that this meeting is planned for Wednesday,” Zelensky stated during his daily address on Monday.
According to the Russian state news agency Tas, the next round of discussions is scheduled for July 24, citing unnamed sources.
“The meeting is set for July 24. The delegation could arrive in Istanbul on July 23,” the agency reported.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov mentioned in a press conference that Russia is committed to pursuing its interests and achieving the objectives it has laid out from the beginning.
Up to this point, two rounds of talks have happened in Istanbul on May 16 and June 2, resulting in the exchange of thousands of prisoners. However, little progress has been made on establishing a ceasefire agreement.
Since the last round of negotiations nearly two months ago, Russia has detailed its conditions for a ceasefire, which involves disarming Ukraine’s military and agreeing to the annexation of four Ukrainian regions that Moscow has occupied since the invasion began over three years ago.
Further negotiations are being anticipated, especially as President Trump has called for peace in the area while increasingly criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent weeks.
The United States has facilitated the transfer of more weapons to Ukraine, drawing support from European NATO allies who agreed to bolster defense spending earlier this year.
Last week, Trump warned Putin that if a ceasefire isn’t achieved within “50 days,” he would impose new sanctions on Russia and any nations that purchase Moscow’s exports. Despite this, Russia has maintained its hardline stance, continuing to launch drone and missile attacks on various Ukrainian cities.
