Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov recently spoke about Ukraine’s push for a ceasefire in its ongoing conflict with Russia. During a briefing, he emphasized that Ukraine is calling for a "full and unconditional ceasefire" lasting at least 30 days across all areas—land, sea, and air. Umerov stressed the urgency of stopping the violence and saving lives.
Ukraine had submitted its ceasefire proposals to Russia a few days prior, but Umerov noted that Russia did not respond in kind until the recent talks in Istanbul. Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Serhiy Kyslytsia confirmed that Russia has rejected the idea of an unconditional ceasefire.
In addition to the ceasefire discussions, Ukraine provided a list of hundreds of children that it claims have been forcibly taken to Russia. Ukrainian negotiators are expecting a response from Russia to their proposals by the end of June and are preparing for potential direct talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, there has been no indication of progress towards such a meeting.
On the Russian side, delegation head Vladimir Medinsky announced that Russia would exchange sick and severely injured prisoners of war, as well as those under 25, although no specific timeline was given. He also mentioned that Russia plans to return the bodies of 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers to Kyiv next week.
Russia’s stance on the ceasefire differs significantly from Ukraine’s. Instead of accepting an unconditional ceasefire, Russia prefers to discuss a "lasting peace" and continues to insist on its demands, which Ukraine and its allies view as unreasonable. These demands include Ukraine’s military withdrawal from occupied regions and recognition of Russian claims to Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine.
President Zelensky, attending a summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, expressed concern over the lack of meaningful communication from Russia regarding the end of the war. He called for stronger sanctions against Russia to increase pressure.
In earlier peace talks held on May 16, both sides failed to agree on a resolution, managing only to arrange a prisoner exchange of 1,000 individuals each. Zelensky and his European allies have accused Russia of stalling negotiations to gain more territory.
Meanwhile, former U.S. President Donald Trump, who has advocated for a swift resolution to the conflict, has delayed imposing tougher sanctions on Russia. Recently, he criticized Putin, calling his actions "absolutely crazy" in light of recent attacks on Ukraine. The Kremlin responded by suggesting Trump was displaying signs of emotional distress.