After talks with Russia on humanitarian issues conclude, Kyiv plans to move on to the topic of arranging a meeting between the two leaders, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said during a meeting with Kyiv Post and other journalists on Thursday, June 26.
Ukraine supported a US proposal for a full ceasefire as early as March, but Russia has yet to respond and continues to insist on ultimatums that are non-starters for Ukraine.
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The negotiation process began at the start of the year, with the first public mention of a ceasefire initiative coming from US President Donald Trump in January.
“Ukraine has always remained consistent in its pursuit of peace. We supported the US initiative for a full ceasefire from the very beginning and demonstrated our commitment through multiple rounds of negotiations. But any dialogue must take place without ultimatums and with full respect for our country’s sovereignty.” Umerov said.
The talks were conducted in several stages across multiple countries. The first round took place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where Ukrainian representatives, together with American partners, outlined the principles of a possible ceasefire. Ukraine, Umerov said, made it clear that it “desires peace more than anyone.”
The second stage was held in Riyadh, with further discussions between Ukraine and the US, and with Russian participation via remote connection. Ukraine communicated with Russia through US intermediaries.
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In early March, the US formally proposed a complete ceasefire — on land, sea, and in the air. Ukraine agreed to the proposal, but after more than ten hours of discussions, the Russian side refused to compromise. The only outcome was a temporary moratorium on strikes against energy infrastructure, Umerov explained.
According to Umerov, Ukraine continued to hold a consistent position, seeking to move toward concrete agreements. Talks also continued in Turkey, without US participation, at Russia’s request.
The negotiations focused on three key issues:
– a full ceasefire,
– humanitarian efforts such as prisoner exchanges, civilian releases, and the return of children,
– A potential meeting of world leaders [ed. Putin, Zelensky, and Trump]
However, no compromise on the ceasefire was reached in the last two rounds of talks. Russia continued to issue ultimatums, which Umerov said were “unacceptable to Ukraine.”
He said that Ukraine is committed to “a just peace, not a disguised pause for aggression.”
On humanitarian matters, Umerov said that Ukraine has remained consistent, with a structured exchange program in place for three years. He added that Russia may be using humanitarian issues as leverage to avoid mounting sanctions pressure.
Ukraine now plans to move forward with the idea of a summit of world leaders for substantive dialogue. Further details on the format and timing of the next negotiation stages are expected to be announced soon.
