IRIA News

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that Kyiv has proposed a fresh round of peace talks with Russia for next week, signaling a renewed push for dialogue despite ongoing violence and soaring casualties from intensified Russian air and drone attacks.

“Security Council Secretary Umerov reported that he had proposed the next meeting with the Russian side for next week,” Zelenskyy stated in his evening address on July 20, 2025. “The momentum of the negotiations must be stepped up,” he added, underscoring the urgency of reigniting diplomatic efforts.

Zelenskyy also reiterated his long-standing call for direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a proposition he believes is crucial to ending the conflict. “A meeting at the leadership level is needed to truly ensure peace, lasting peace,” he said.

Failed talks, hardline demands

This is not the first attempt by Kyiv to broker peace. Two prior rounds of negotiations held in Istanbul failed to produce a ceasefire, though they did result in limited agreements such as prisoner exchanges and repatriation of fallen soldiers’ remains.

The most recent talks broke down after Russia issued a series of hardline demands, including the surrender of additional Ukrainian territory and an end to Western military support. Kyiv outright rejected these terms, calling them “unacceptable” and warning that negotiations were pointless if Moscow remained unwilling to compromise.

The Kremlin has kept the door open for further negotiations. Earlier this month, it signaled readiness to continue talks after U.S. President Donald Trump issued a 50-day deadline for Russia to strike a peace deal or face intensified sanctions. Trump also pledged to bolster Ukraine’s defense with additional military aid under a NATO-led assistance package.

Russian strikes escalate

Despite Zelenskyy’s diplomatic outreach, Russian military activity shows no sign of slowing. On Saturday, a series of missile and drone strikes across Ukraine killed at least three civilians, underscoring the human cost of the ongoing conflict.

In Dnipropetrovsk, a central industrial hub where Russian forces have recently advanced, two people were killed by missile strikes. Meanwhile, a drone barrage on the southern port city of Odesa claimed another life. These latest attacks come amid a months-long escalation of long-range Russian assaults targeting both civilian infrastructure and front-line positions.

Simultaneously, Russia itself came under Ukrainian drone attack in the southern Rostov region, temporarily halting train services for four hours and injuring a railway worker.

The incident is part of a larger trend where both sides are now increasingly relying on swarms of inexpensive drones to breach each other’s air defenses, launching hundreds of them daily in what has become a battle of attrition in the skies.

Сьогодні вночі наші воїни різних підрозділів відбивали чергову російську атаку. Більш ніж 300 ударних дронів та понад 30 ракет різних типів було застосовано проти наших міст. Зараз продовжується знищення цілей: у повітрі ще є безпілотники.

Тривають рятувальні роботи після атаки.… pic.twitter.com/FAvOiim0Q8

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 19, 2025

Prisoner swaps continue

Despite the deadly hostilities, some limited cooperation between the warring nations persists. As part of ongoing humanitarian agreements brokered in Istanbul, Ukraine received the remains of 1,000 of its fallen soldiers on Thursday. In return, Russia was handed 19 bodies from the Ukrainian side.

Such exchanges, though grim, are one of the few functioning channels of communication between Moscow and Kyiv amid the breakdown of broader diplomatic engagement.

EU approves 18th round of sanctions on Russia

As the military conflict rages on, the European Union has taken significant new steps to increase pressure on Moscow. On Friday, the EU finalized its 18th package of sanctions against Russia, focusing primarily on economic tools to reduce the Kremlin’s ability to fund its war.

“The EU just approved one of its strongest sanctions packages against Russia to date,” declared EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. “Each sanction weakens Russia’s ability to wage war. The message is clear: Europe will not back down in its support for Ukraine. The EU will keep raising the pressure until Russia ends its war.”

A major component of the new sanctions is a reduction of the oil price cap on Russian exports to third countries. Previously set at $60 per barrel by the G7 in 2022, the cap will now be lowered to $47.6, or 15 percent below global market value, with room for future adjustments.

This move aims to curb Russia’s oil revenues, a key funding source for its military efforts. While the U.S. has not officially endorsed the new EU-led cap, allies like the UK and Canada are expected to align with the initiative.

Russia’s hybrid attacks won’t go unanswered.

The EU, UK & partners continue to take coordinated action, including with sanctions.

We will use all available tools to protect our institutions, infrastructure, and democracies.

Statement on behalf of EU27: https://t.co/NkXJJM6rVr pic.twitter.com/5QpAGOT4Hg

— Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) July 18, 2025

Slovakia had initially blocked the sanctions package but dropped its opposition after securing what Prime Minister Robert Fico described as “guarantees” from Brussels on future gas pricing. This development comes as the EU aims to completely cut off Russian energy imports by the end of 2027.

Broader measures

The new EU sanctions are expansive in scope. In addition to the oil cap, the measures include:

• Blacklisting more than 100 ships believed to be part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” used to circumvent existing oil sanctions.
• Targeting a Russian-owned oil refinery in India and two Chinese banks involved in transactions supporting Moscow.
• Banning transactions with more Russian banks and expanding restrictions on the export of dual-use goods that could be repurposed for military applications.
• Preventing the reactivation of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines, effectively cutting off another potential energy revenue stream for the Kremlin.

While the fresh proposal for talks by Ukraine offers a glimmer of hope, the prospects for meaningful peace remain tenuous. The battlefield reality continues to deteriorate with increasing civilian casualties and relentless aerial bombardments.

Yet, amid the bloodshed, Zelenskyy’s call for dialogue highlights Kyiv’s effort to project diplomatic responsibility and international legitimacy. “A meeting at the leadership level is needed to truly ensure peace,” Zelenskyy said, placing the onus on Moscow to respond in kind.

As the international community escalates economic pressure on Russia and arms Ukraine with greater resolve, the coming weeks could prove critical in shaping whether diplomacy can break through the deadlock or whether the war is poised to enter yet another brutal chapter.