Moscow has said that there is no immediate prospect of peace negotiations resuming with Kyiv, but that it “remains open” to talks.
“At this point, we see no immediate prospects for the resumption of the negotiation process,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said during a press briefing on July 16, according to the state-run news agency, TASS.
Peskov also thanked Turkey for its readiness to facilitate talks between the two sides, saying, “We are grateful to the Turkish side for this.”
Three short rounds of peace talks took place in Istanbul in 2025. This was followed at the start of 2026 by two rounds in Abu Dhabi and one in Geneva, mediated by the United States.
The last negotiations were in February, shortly before the United States began its strikes on Iran.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aide Vladimir Medinsky described the talks as “difficult, but businesslike.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at the time that the trilateral talks yielded meaningful progress.
“Both sides agreed to update their respective leaders and continue to work toward a peace deal together,” Leavitt told reporters on Feb. 18.
‘Concrete Proposals’ for Ending War
Ukraine has said that it supports Turkey as a venue for potential talks between Zelenskyy and Putin, as part of efforts to end the war.
“We believe that one of the main venues where a meeting between Zelenskiy and Putin could take place is Turkey,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said during a news conference in Kyiv on July 16 alongside Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
“We support this and are grateful to the Turkish side for its readiness to take on the mission of organizing such a high-level meeting and to serve as the appropriate platform.”
Sybiha also said that Ukraine has “concrete proposals” for ending the war, and that it expects Europe and the United States to remain engaged in the process.
Coalition of the Willing
The coalition said following the July 13 summit in Paris that a peace deal would need to be backed “by politically and legally binding security guarantees,” which it said would be defensive in nature.
“Their purpose is to prevent a renewal of Russian aggression against Ukraine and ensure stability and security in Europe. This will be alongside long-term military assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” the Coalition of the Willing said in a statement.
Russia reiterated its warning that it would view foreign troops on Ukrainian soil as legitimate military targets.
“We would like to once again emphasize that our country considers the deployment of any military contingents from the countries of the so-called Coalition of the Willing to Ukraine unacceptable,” Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during a July 15 press briefing, according to TASS.
“I repeat once again: this will de facto mean foreign intervention and an increase in threats to Russia’s security. Such units will be regarded by us as legitimate military targets.”
