Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to sign a ceasefire to end the fighting, as the two sides work to agree to a meeting to create a lasting peace after more than three years of war sparked by Moscow's all-out invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking at a briefing in Kiev today, Zelensky said such a meeting could include Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US President Donald Trump, after two recent rounds of talks with lower-level delegations failed to make progress on stopping the war.
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"We are ready to exchange views, but I think it is pointless to continue diplomatic meetings in Istanbul at a level that does not resolve anything further," Zelensky said.
"My proposal, which I believe our partners can support, is to propose a ceasefire to the Russians until the leaders meet... We are ready for such a meeting any day," he added.
Speaking at a televised government meeting, Putin clearly rejected the possibilities of a ceasefire and summit, and said Ukraine would "use" the pause to arm itself and mobilize more people for its armed forces.
Putin also accused Kiev of coordinating deadly "terrorist attacks" on bridges in border regions over the weekend. "How can we negotiate with those who rely on terror?" he added.
Earlier, Ukrainian authorities claimed that Russia had "deliberately" targeted civilian infrastructure in the Sumy region, with a series of airstrikes that killed four people and wounded at least 3 others on June 20.
Zelensky's invitation to the meeting comes after talks on June 2 in Istanbul - only the second round of direct negotiations between the two sides in more than three years - failed to move the process forward.
The delegations exchanged concrete proposals for the framework of a peace agreement.
Ukraine has called, among other things, for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire plus the exchange of all prisoners of war, as well as the return of Ukrainian children whom Kiev claims were abducted by Russia.
The Russian proposal, meanwhile, called for international recognition of Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula that Moscow annexed in 2014, as well as four Ukrainian regions that have been partially occupied by Russian forces.
Zelensky accused the Kremlin of not being serious about negotiating a peace deal -- a charge also made by many Western countries -- saying it was a tactic to prevent Washington from imposing a new round of tough economic sanctions on Russia.
"They did it to show the United States that they are trying to be constructive," Zelensky said, calling the Russian proposal an "ultimatum."
"Why? To delay, which depends on President Trump personally: whether he will delay the imposition of sanctions or not."
Responding to Zelensky's comments, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov rejected the accusation, saying the process of direct negotiations was working and had yielded results.
On June 1, Ukrainian forces attacked dozens of long-range bombers across Russia with drones smuggled in wooden shipping crates, transported on truck cargo holds into the country, and then launched from nearby locations.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) claims that more than 40 bombers were hit in the attack, which Zelensky described as an "absolutely brilliant outcome", adding that the operation had been in preparation for more than 18 months.
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Then on June 3, Ukraine claimed to have struck a key bridge connecting Russia to Crimea, which is under Moscow's occupation, with underwater explosives.
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Lavrov said Moscow should not fall for Ukraine's "criminal provocations" but should instead use negotiations and all the "means" it has to achieve its goals in Ukraine.
The 19-kilometer-long Kerch Bridge, which carries both road and rail traffic, was built by Russia and opened in 2018 - four years after Moscow illegally annexed the peninsula - and serves as a vital supply route for Russian forces occupying parts of southern Ukraine.
It was damaged in Ukrainian attacks in October 2022 and July 2023 and was frequently closed during security incidents.
Addressing a meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine's Defense in Ramstein, Zelensky told NATO defense ministers that Russia "must be forced into diplomacy," adding that the Alliance has "all the necessary tools" to push Russia toward peace and make its aggression against Ukraine "senseless."
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