A new important phase is beginning in the war between Russia and Ukraine. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
The parties are preparing to hold negotiations again. The third round of negotiations is planned to take place in Istanbul from July 21 to 27 at the initiative of Rustem Umerov, the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine and former Minister of Defense.
This was announced by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a statement on July 19. Zelensky emphasized the need to bring speed and efficiency to the negotiation process.
He stated that all possibilities should be used to achieve a ceasefire, and Russia must stop avoiding the solution. The new round will discuss issues such as the exchange of military prisoners, the return of children, and the cessation of active military operations.
Zelensky expressed his support for holding negotiations at the leadership level and emphasized that this could lead to long-term peace. He also stated his readiness for a bilateral meeting with Vladimir Putin and, if necessary, for trilateral negotiations involving Donald Trump.
This indicates that Kyiv is open to negotiations on an international level. The Russian news agency TASS confirmed that the new round of negotiations was proposed by Ukraine, but the date is not yet clear.
The Kremlin and the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not officially respond to Zelensky's initiative. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on July 18 that he supports adding dynamics to the negotiation process.
Istanbul has also served as a key venue for previous negotiations. In negotiations held on May 16 and June 2, the parties were unable to reach an agreement on a complete ceasefire, but an agreement was reached on the exchange of military prisoners and bodies.
According to Germany's Der Spiegel publication, the new negotiations proposed by Ukraine arose as a result of long discussions with the US. The visit of the US President's special envoy for Ukraine, Kit Kellogg, to Kyiv and Donald Trump's new threatening statements regarding Russia had an additional impact on this process.
Thus, the third round to be held in Istanbul may serve not only to reduce tensions between the parties but also to open a new chapter in the global political environment. The world public is expecting significant results from this meeting.
The question is whether this time the negotiations will lead to real peace or remain a dream again. Answers will be clarified in the coming days.
