Camilla Jessen
Defense Minister Rustem Umerov accuses Russia of dragging out negotiations while continuing attacks, urging the West to increase pressure.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov accused Russia on June 2 of stalling peace talks and turning them into a “diplomatic show.”
His comments followed the latest round of Ukraine-Russia negotiations in Istanbul, which ended with little progress.
Umerov said Russia only presented its peace proposal at the meeting itself, unlike Ukraine, which submitted its documents in advance.
“This created conditions that prevented the meeting from delivering the results needed to end the war,” he wrote in a post on Facebook.
Umerov led Ukraine’s 14-person delegation at the June 2 talks, as he did at the earlier round in Istanbul on May 16. He said Ukraine had again pushed for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire — a proposal supported by several of its international partners.
In response, Russia only offered a short-term local ceasefire — two to three days in limited areas — to allow the recovery of fallen soldiers’ bodies.
“Russia rejects even the very idea of stopping the killings,” Umerov said. “That’s why we appeal to the world: pressure is needed for real peace, not for an imitation of negotiations.”
Tougher Response from West
President Volodymyr Zelensky also criticized Russia’s limited ceasefire offer, calling it a sign that Moscow is not serious about ending the war.
Speaking at an online press conference attended by The Kyiv Independent, Zelensky said the latest round of talks had failed to move things forward.
Earlier the same day, he called on U.S. President Donald Trump to follow through on earlier promises of harsher sanctions if the peace talks did not succeed.
“If the Istanbul meeting brings nothing, that clearly means strong new sanctions are urgently needed — from the EU’s 18th package, and from the United States specifically, the strongest sanctions President Trump promised,” Zelensky said.
Trump Holds Off on New Sanctions — For Now
President Trump has taken a wait-and-see approach.
On May 30, he said he was “very surprised” by Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities during peace efforts.
Two days earlier, he had warned that if Russian President Vladimir Putin showed no real interest in ending the war, the U.S. would “respond a little bit differently.”
Despite these warnings, the Trump administration has not yet imposed additional sanctions on Russia.
Although the peace talks have failed to reach agreement on major issues like a ceasefire, they have led to some progress on humanitarian matters.
The May 16 meeting resulted in a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange, which was completed between May 23 and 25.
During the June 2 talks, Ukraine and Russia agreed to begin planning another large exchange, possibly involving 1,200 captives on each side.
“If this is just another attempt to buy time, then there should be one response: tougher international sanctions,” Umerov said.