Zelensky Announces New Meeting with Russia: Preparations for Dialogue to Stop the War
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky officially announced the intensification of diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving peace within the country and revealed plans for a new round of negotiations with the Russian Federation. According to him, this initiative resulted from agreements made during a previous meeting held in Istanbul. Zelensky emphasized that Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Rustem Umerov, proposed the Russian side to hold negotiations as early as next week. The head of state stressed the importance of increasing the negotiation dynamics to push the situation off dead center, facilitate a ceasefire, and reduce tensions. He also called on Russia to stop avoiding responsibility and to participate openly in resolving the conflict. Zelensky expressed his readiness for a high-level meeting to establish long-term peace in the region. Additionally, on the eve, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed with Vladimir Putin the possibility of conducting a third round of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, signaling efforts to find diplomatic solutions to the ongoing conflict.