Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Saturday that Kyiv has extended an offer to Moscow for another round of peace negotiations next week. He emphasised the urgency of reaching a ceasefire agreement as soon as possible.

Ukraine and Russia have previously held two negotiation sessions in Istanbul over the last five months. While they managed to agree on prisoner exchanges, there has been no significant progress toward ending the conflict that began with Russia’s invasion in 2022—now lasting over three years.

“Everything possible must be done to secure a ceasefire,” Zelenskyy stated during his evening speech. He also criticised Russia for avoiding critical decisions.

Rustem Umerov, who led the Ukrainian team in both Istanbul discussions, has officially sent the proposal for a new meeting to the Russian side, according to Zelenskyy. However, no further details were provided. Umerov, formerly Ukraine’s defence minister, was recently appointed head of the National Security and Defence Council, with a renewed mandate to accelerate the peace process.

Meanwhile, Russia continues its heavy military campaign in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region. Although Moscow has expressed willingness to return to the negotiating table, it has shown no signs of compromising on what Kyiv and its allies consider extreme demands.

Amid increasing Russian airstrikes on Ukrainian cities, U.S. President Donald Trump has taken a firmer stance, warning earlier this month of stronger sanctions against Russia unless a peace agreement is reached within 50 days.