The Kremlin has announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — but only if Kyiv lifts its current ban on negotiations.
Russian state media outlet TASS reported this development, referencing a 2022 Ukrainian decree that officially prohibits any direct talks with Putin. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said any future discussions would build upon previous negotiation drafts, but cautioned that “a lot of work” remains before a high-level summit can take place.
Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council enacted the ban on negotiations with Putin on September 30, 2022, amid concerns over unofficial back-channel communications and the risk of political sabotage. President Zelenskyy swiftly implemented the decree in early October, emphasizing his intent to halt any separatist influences or unofficial talks with Russia during wartime.
Zelenskyy explained, “I shut down many shadow channels quickly. I banned any political actor in Ukraine from engaging in talks with Putin’s side during this conflict.”
The next round of talks between Ukraine and Russia is scheduled for July 23 in Türkiye, where Ukraine’s delegation will be led by NSDC Secretary Rustem Umerov.
The most recent discussions took place in Istanbul on June 2, reportedly lasting over an hour. Russian media noted that preliminary agreements included a potential “all-for-all” prisoner exchange, focusing on two groups: severely wounded or ill soldiers and those under 25 years old.
Following these talks, Russian President Putin reportedly confirmed to then U.S. President Donald Trump his readiness to continue negotiations. Kremlin officials have also suggested that future meetings could again be hosted in Istanbul.
Meanwhile, sources cited by the Financial Times revealed that during a July 4 call, President Trump urged Zelenskyy to “make the Russians feel pain” to pressure Moscow into resuming talks.
On that same day, Ukraine and Russia conducted another prisoner exchange, returning Ukrainian service members held captive since 2022. Several other exchanges occurred throughout June, mostly involving critically ill or wounded troops, young soldiers, and those previously listed as missing.
As part of the Istanbul agreements, Russia also returned the remains of fallen Ukrainian soldiers, with Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters reporting the receipt of the bodies of over 6,000 troops killed in action between June 11 and 16.
As tensions continue, the world watches closely for signs of progress in this ongoing conflict.
Reporting by Lisa Lomami.
