Dawn
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19:00 Jul 21, 2025
Russia and Ukraine will hold new peace talks on Wednesday as a follow-up to two rounds in Istanbul that made little progress on ending their war, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced. “Today, I discussed with [Ukrainian Security Council chief] Rustem Umerov the preparations for the exchange and another meeting in Turkey with the Russian side. Umerov reported that the meeting is scheduled for Wednesday,” Zelensky said in his daily address on Monday. He added that more details would be released on Tuesday. The rival sides met in Istanbul on May 16 and June 2 amid US pressure to agree on a ceasefire. Despite the urging of US President Donald Trump, no breakthrough was made. Ukrainian and Russian negotiators have so far only agreed to hold prisoner exchanges. And Russia has since launched intense air attacks on Ukraine and seized more frontline territory. Russia has demanded that Ukraine give up four regions, on top of Crimea, which it annexed in 2014. The Kremlin also insists that Ukraine give up any idea of j...