Will Ukraine and Russia Engage in New Peace Talks Next Week?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed new peace talks with Russia.
- Rustem Umerov leads the Ukrainian delegation.
- Escalating military actions complicate the negotiation landscape.
- Russia dismissed US pressure for a ceasefire.
- Both sides express a willingness to negotiate.
Kyiv, July 20 (NationPress) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Kyiv has suggested initiating a new series of peace negotiations with Moscow next week.
Rustem Umerov, who led the Ukrainian delegation during the last two discussions in Istanbul, has conveyed the proposal to the Russian side for this upcoming meeting, as stated by Zelensky in his evening address to the nation on Saturday.
"We need to accelerate the momentum of the negotiations," Zelensky remarked. "Every effort must be made to secure a ceasefire."
Umerov, the former defense minister, was officially appointed by the Ukrainian president as secretary of the National Security and Defence Council just the day before.
On Tuesday, Russia dismissed US President Donald Trump's 50-day ultimatum demanding a ceasefire in Ukraine, rejecting the notion of facing "severe tariffs" as unacceptable.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov reiterated that Moscow is in favor of a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine conflict and is open to negotiations.
The announcement of these new peace talks comes on a day where Russian forces executed a significant strike on targets within Ukraine's military-industrial sector, as reported by the Russian Defence Ministry.
This assault utilized high-precision air-, ground-, and sea-launched weaponry, including drones, with all specified targets successfully struck, according to a statement from the ministry.
Zelensky posted on Telegram, revealing that Russia deployed over 300 drones and more than 30 cruise missiles in a single night, resulting in one fatality and six injuries in Odesa, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
Concurrently, the Russian Defence Ministry announced that its forces intercepted 71 Ukrainian drones during the night. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed that 13 drones were shot down while approaching the capital.