Latest news with #NationalSecurityandDefenseCouncil
New York Post
7 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Ukraine and Russia set to hold peace talks in Turkey
Kyiv and Moscow will hold a new round of peace talks — the first in seven weeks — on Wednesday in Turkey, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said. Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov is in Istanbul to meet with his Russian counterparts to discuss the war and hash out the terms for another prisoner of war exchange, Zelensky said. Despite Kyiv's push to reach a cease-fire deal, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told the world not to expect a 'miraculous breakthrough' from the meeting. Advertisement 3 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a new round of peace talks will be held with Russia on Wednesday in Istandbul. Oleksandr Medvetskyi 'We intend to pursue our interests, we intend to ensure our interests and fulfil the tasks that we set for ourselves from the very beginning,' Peskov told reporters on Tuesday. A Turkish foreign ministry source told Reuters that the meeting at the Ciragan Palace would begin at around noon EST, with all eyes set on how Russia would proceed. 'The Ukrainian delegation has come to Turkey prepared to take significant steps toward peace and a full ceasefire, but everything will depend on whether the Russian side is willing to take a constructive approach,' the source said. Advertisement The Kremlin has remained steadfast in avoiding any progress on the peace talks, with last month's meeting yielding no results. Zelensky has repeatedly pushed for Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet him face-to-face to negotiate an end to the war, which has raged on for more than three years. 3 Russian President Vladimir Putin has maintained that he will not meet with Zelensky and would only pursue a peace deal if it meets his demands. AP Advertisement The Ukrainian president said Wednesday's meeting will continue to push for the meeting, noting that his team has been tasked with establishing 'the preparation of a leaders' meeting.' Putin, however, has previously stated that he has no interest in meeting with Zelensky, accusing the Ukrainian president of being an illegitimate leader due to the halt of presidential elections in Kyiv while the country is under martial law. Putin claimed earlier this week that he would be open to advancing the stalled peace talks, but only if all of the Kremlin's demands are met. 3 Russia continues to bomb residential buildings in Ukraine as the nightly drone attacks ramp up. STATE EMERGENCY SERVICE/HANDOUT/EPA/Shutterstock Advertisement Putin has said Russia will prioritize its goal of maintaining all the territories it has taken from Ukraine, as well as its demands for Kyiv to completely demilitarize. The Russian strongman has also scoffed at President Trump's 50-day deadline for a cease-fire, which if not reached would result in heavy secondary tariffs against Moscow. Trump also vowed to prop up Ukraine's military with 'billions of dollars' worth of weapons from NATO, which would help Kyiv defend itself in the face of the ever-escalating drone and missile attacks Russia launches on a daily basis. With Post wires
The Hill
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hill
New round of Ukraine, Russia peace talks planned
'Today, I discussed with 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 during his daily address Monday, referring to the secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council. But TASS, the Russian state-run news agency, reported Monday that the next round of talks between Ukraine and Russia will be Thursday, citing a source. 'The meeting is scheduled for July 24. The delegations may arrive in Istanbul on July 23,' the news agency quoted the source as saying. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov played down expectations for the meeting, saying Russia does not expect to achieve a 'miraculous breakthrough.' He said during a Tuesday press briefing that Russia intends to 'pursue our interests, we intend to ensure our interests and fulfil the tasks that we set for ourselves from the very beginning.' The nations have held two rounds of peace talks in Istanbul so far — on May 16 and June 2 — and the discussions have led to the exchange of thousands of prisoners, but there has been little to no progress on a potential ceasefire agreement. Since the last round of talks, which took place nearly two months ago, Russia issued a memo outlining conditions for reaching a ceasefire, including: Having Ukraine's military disarm and agree to Russia's annexation of four regions in Ukraine that were overtaken since Moscow launched its invasion more than three years ago, regions the Russian military has struggled to maintain. The upcoming talks also come as President Trump has pressed for forging peace in the region and has in recent weeks been increasingly critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying in a recent interview with the BBC that he is 'disappointed' with the Kremlin's leader, but not 'done with him.'
The Hill
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hill
New round of Ukraine, Russia peace talks planned for Wednesday
A third round of peace talks between Ukrainian and Russian officials is planned to take place later this week in Turkey, according to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky. 'Today, I discussed with [secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council] 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 during his daily address on Monday. TASS, the Russian state-run news agency, reported Monday that the next round of talks between Ukraine and Russia will be held on July 24 local time, citing a source. 'The meeting is scheduled for July 24. The delegations may arrive in Istanbul on July 23,' the news agency quoted the source as saying. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday during a press briefing that Russia intends to 'pursue our interests, we intend to ensure our interests and fulfil the tasks that we set for ourselves from the very beginning.' The nations have held two rounds of peace talks in Istanbul so far — on May 16 and June 2 — and the discussions have led to the exchange of thousands of prisoners but the two have made little-to-no progress on a potential ceasefire agreement. Since the last round of talks, which took place nearly two months ago, Russia issued a memo outlining conditions for reaching a ceasefire, including having Ukraine's military disarm and agree to Russia's annexation of four regions in Ukraine that were overtaken since Moscow launched its invasion over three years ago, which the Russian military has struggled to maintain. The upcoming talks also come as President Trump has pressed for forging peace in the region and has in recent weeks been increasingly critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying in a recent interview with the BBC that he is 'disappointed' with the Kremlin's leader, but not 'done with him.' The U.S. has brokered a deal to send more weapons to Ukraine, arms that would be drawn from NATO allies in Europe who agreed earlier this year to increase their investment in defense spending. Last week, Trump warned Putin that he would slap new sanctions on Russia and other countries that purchase Moscow's exports if a ceasefire is not reached within '50 days.' Russia has not wavered from its demands and has continued to shell Ukraine, firing off drones and missile attacks that have targeted dozens of cities.
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Trump's Ukraine REGIME CHANGE Plan Confirmed? Zelensky's First Big Move After Bombshell U.S. Reveal
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has removed Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine's military intelligence, from the National Security and Defense Council, raising speculation about an internal power shift. The move was quietly revealed through an updated council list where Budanov's name was notably absent. Russian security services have labeled it a bold power play, suggesting Zelensky is consolidating authority amid rising tensions. The shake-up follows claims by a U.S. journalist that the Trump camp is allegedly exploring regime change in Ukraine—though neither Kyiv nor Washington has confirmed such plans. With political divisions widening in Ukraine's leadership, Zelensky's move appears to be his first major step to reassert dominance and preempt external or internal threats.
2 days ago
- Politics
Ukraine-Russia talks set for Wednesday in Turkey, Zelenskyy confirms
LONDON -- Russian and Ukrainian negotiating teams will again meet in Istanbul, Turkey, on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed, for the first such meeting since President Donald Trump set a 50-day deadline for a ceasefire to be reached. In his nightly video address on Monday, Zelenskyy said he spoke with Rustem Umerov -- the former defense minister who is now heading Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council -- on Monday, to discuss upcoming prisoner swaps and the next round of talks with Moscow. "Umerov reported that the meeting is planned for Wednesday," the president said. "More details will follow tomorrow." Russia's state TASS news agency, meanwhile, quoted a source in Turkey who also said the talks would be held on Wednesday. The state-owned RIA news agency -- also quoting a source -- said the negotiations would stretch over Thursday and Friday. This week's meeting will be the third recent round of talks between the two combatants, previous meetings having been held in Istanbul on May 16 and June 2. Before that, the two sides had not met directly since the opening weeks of Russia's full-scale invasion, which began in February 2022. The May and June talks led to the exchange of thousands of prisoners of war and the remains of dead soldiers, but any breakthrough on a ceasefire or eventual peace deal has proved elusive -- despite continued pressure from the Trump administration. The White House is pushing for an immediate ceasefire, a stance backed by Ukraine. But Russia has so far dodged committing to the proposal, with President Vladimir Putin saying various issues need to be addressed before the fighting can be paused. Trump has appeared in recent months increasingly frustrated by Russia's intransigence, plus by its nightly drone and missile strikes across Ukraine. Earlier this month, Trump set a 50-day deadline for Moscow to agree to a ceasefire, threatening fresh sanctions and tariffs if it failed to do so. Trump also announced new military support for Kyiv, with a particular focus on strengthening Ukraine's anti-drone and anti-missile defenses. On Monday, Zelenskyy said Kyiv's goals from the coming talks would be "the return of prisoners, the return of children who were abducted by Russia and the preparation of the leaders' meeting," the last referring to his repeated offers of an in-person meeting with Putin. In a Tuesday social media post, Zelenskyy said Umerov will lead the Ukrainian delegation. Representatives from Ukrainian intelligence, its Foreign Ministry and the president's office will also attend, he said. "Our position is fully transparent," Zelenskyy said. "Ukraine never wanted this war and it is Russia that must end the war that it started." On Sunday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov addressed Trump's ultimatum -- issued earlier this month -- for Russia to agree to a ceasefire within 50 days or face more sanctions. "Everyone is already used to his rather tough and straightforward rhetoric," Peskov told journalists. "At the same time, he confirms his intentions to do everything possible to contribute to peaceful settlement." "In fact, President Putin has repeatedly spoken about his desire to transfer Ukrainian settlement to a peaceful route as soon as possible," Peskov added. "This is a long process, it requires effort, and it is not easy. And, most likely, more and more people in Washington understand this." As to a possible meeting between Trump and Putin, Peskov replied, "It is possible, and over time it will definitely happen. It is necessary." "Perhaps it will be necessary for the fixation of some major agreements, which will be achieved over time, after a huge amount of work has been done," he continued. "But this time has not yet come. This work is yet to be done." "Russia is ready to move fast," Peskov said. "The main thing for us is to achieve our goals. Our goals are clear, obvious, they do not change. But the process depends not only on us." Expectations for this week's talks are not high in Ukraine, according to Oleksandr Merezhko, a member of the Ukrainian parliament and the chair of the body's foreign affairs committee. "I don't expect anything serious from these negotiations," Merezhko told ABC News. "In my opinion, Russia will be using these negotiations to prolong offensive operations during summer," he added. "Putin has not given up his goal to subjugate the whole of Ukraine and is not interested in serious negotiations." "Putin will use these 50 days to the maximum," Merezhko added.
