Ukraine sent Russia an offer to hold talks next week

(Patria) - Kyiv has proposed a new round of peace talks to Moscow next week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday, after talks stalled in early June.

Two rounds of talks in Istanbul between Moscow and Kyiv have not resulted in any progress towards a ceasefire, instead leading to a large-scale prisoner exchange and an agreement on the return of the bodies of fallen soldiers, Reuters reports.

"Security Council Secretary Umerov also reported that he proposed the next meeting with the Russian side for next week," Zelenskiy said in his evening address.

"The momentum of negotiations must be accelerated," he added.

Zelenskiy reiterated his readiness for a personal meeting with Vladimir Putin.

"A meeting at the leadership level is needed to truly ensure peace - lasting peace," he said.

At last month's talks, Russia presented a list of demands, including calls for Ukraine to cede more territory and abandon all forms of Western military support. Kyiv dismissed them as unacceptable and at the time questioned the point of further negotiations if Moscow was not prepared to make concessions.

The Kremlin announced earlier this month that it was ready to continue talks with Ukraine after US President Donald Trump gave Russia fifty days to reach a peace agreement or face sanctions.

Trump also promised to provide Kyiv with new military aid, sponsored by NATO allies, while Ukrainian cities suffer increasingly frequent Russian air raids.

Russian attacks on Ukraine claimed three more lives on Saturday.