Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov said on Wednesday that his country's delegation at talks with Russia in Istanbul proposed a meeting of President Volodymyr Zelensky and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin before the end of August.
Umerov stated that Ukraine's main goals in negotiations with Russia at the moment are to agree on a ceasefire and to stage a meeting between the two leaders. "By agreeing to this proposal, Russia can clearly demonstrate its constructive approach to everyone around the world, including our partners. Ukraine keeps insisting on a full and unconditional ceasefire as a necessary basis for effective diplomacy," Umerov stressed. "It is up to the other side to accept this basic step towards peace. We emphasize that the ceasefire must be genuine. It must include a complete cessation of strikes on civilian and critical infrastructure," he added.
