Daijiworld Media Network – Kyiv

Kyiv, Jul 20: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Saturday said his country had proposed a new round of peace talks with Russia, over a month after the last direct negotiations were held.

In his daily national address, Zelenskiy stated that Rustem Umerov, newly appointed as secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, had formally extended the proposal to the Russian side.

"The dynamics of negotiations must be accelerated," Zelenskiy urged. "Everything must be done to achieve a ceasefire. The Russian side should stop hiding from making decisions."

Umerov, formerly Ukraine’s defense minister, had led the June talks with Russia, which led to a major prisoner swap. Discussions are still underway for another exchange based on the Istanbul agreements, the Ukrainian leader added.

While no specific date for the talks has been confirmed, Russian state media Tass quoted unnamed officials saying scheduling was in progress. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov had earlier said Russia was awaiting Kyiv’s proposals for the next round.

Zelenskiy also said Ukraine was eager to see agreements with US President Donald Trump on air defense systems and weapons supplies take effect soon. He further mentioned Ukraine’s readiness to begin drone exports.