After rejecting ceasefire, Russia calls on West to 'pressure' Ukraine toward negotiations
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Russia is calling for the U.S. and other countries to pressure Ukraine into resuming direct negotiations after U.S. President Donald Trump announced he would impose "severe" secondary tariffs on Russia unless Moscow agrees to end its war against Ukraine within 50 days.
"Many statements have been made, many words of disappointment have been spoken, but we want to hope that pressure is being exerted on the Ukrainian side," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said at a press briefing on July 16.
"It now appears that the Ukrainian side perceives all words of support not as a signal for peace, but a signal for the continuation of war," Peskov said. The remark ignores the fact that Russia launched the full-scale invasion and continues to push to occupy more Ukrainian territory.
The last round of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine took place on June 2 in Istanbul, after a previous meeting on May 16, following more than three years of no direct negotiations.
Ukraine proposed a 30-day ceasefire, but Russia rejected the offer and instead pushed for a 2–3-day local truce to retrieve the bodies of fallen soldiers. No agreement was reached.
Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said on June 26 that Ukraine seeks a direct meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the next round of negotiations.
Putin has so far declined to participate in person, delegating lower-level officials, despite Zelensky's expressed readiness for face-to-face talks and mounting pressure from the U.S.
Ukraine's First Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya earlier told the Kyiv Independent that the Istanbul meetings couldn't truly be called negotiations due to Russia's rigid, ultimatum-like approach.
Citing three unnamed sources close to the Kremlin, Reuters reported on July 15 that Putin remains determined to pursue the war until the West agrees to a settlement on his terms.
