Ukraine and Russia Set for Fresh Peace Talks, Ukrainian President Says

Reuters

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that a new round of peace talks with Russia will be held in Istanbul on Wednesday, 23 July 2025, amid renewed international pressure to end the war, now in its fourth year.

In his daily address on Monday, President Zelensky said he had discussed preparations for the talks and a possible prisoner exchange with Ukrainian Security Council chief Rustem Umerov, who confirmed the meeting would take place this week in Türkiye.

The announcement follows recent warnings from U.S. President Donald Trump, who threatened Russia with “severe” sanctions unless a ceasefire is reached within 50 days. Washington has also pledged further military aid to Ukraine, as Russian attacks intensify.

On Tuesday, a child was killed in the eastern city of Kramatorsk when a Russian glide bomb struck an apartment block. Earlier, six districts in Kyiv were targeted in combined missile and drone strikes. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces reported repelling over 50 Russian assaults in the Pokrovsk area, where Moscow has concentrated its recent offensives.

Russia's state-run RIA news agency reported that the Istanbul talks could continue into Thursday and Friday. A Turkish government spokesperson confirmed they would take place at the same venue where earlier rounds in May and June failed to produce a breakthrough.

A senior Ukrainian official told AFP that the upcoming discussions may also explore additional prisoner exchanges and the possibility of a direct meeting between Presidents Zelensky and Putin.



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