Ukraine Proposes September Peace Talks With U.S. Mediation

Head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office Kyrylo Budanov announced that peace negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian delegations could resume as early as September. Budanov emphasized that the revival of these stalled talks requires the involvement of the United States.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has submitted new proposals to Washington to facilitate this process. The Ukrainian proposals focus on establishing a ceasefire, creating a free economic zone, and securing security guarantees from NATO and the European Union.

Russia remains resistant to these diplomatic efforts. President Vladimir Putin intends to avoid resuming negotiations until Russian forces seize the remainder of the Donbas and establish a buffer zone in occupied parts of the Sumy and Kharkiv regions. Putin has rejected proposals for limited de-escalation, claiming that halting long-range strikes would allow Ukraine to redeploy its troops.