Russian President Vladimir Putin will agree to meet with Ukrainian President Vladimir Putin, but only on the condition that Kiev capitulates first. This was stated by the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Serhiy Kyslytsia, in an interview with The Kyiv Independent.
During the interview, he was asked whether negotiations are currently underway for a new meeting between Ukraine and Russia within the framework of delegations, to which Kyslytsia replied that this format has practically been exhausted, unless the Russian delegation receives a new mandate from Putin.
The First Deputy Minister emphasized that unlike the Ukrainian delegation, which has clear discipline, discussions within the team and exchange of ideas and approaches, the Russian delegation has strict discipline in implementing Putin's instructions.
According to Kyslytsia, Putin's mandate is to force surrender. In particular, Ukraine proposes to establish a ceasefire as a contribution to creating conditions for a meeting of leaders and reaching agreements, but Moscow first demands capitulation.
"They openly say: "No, first you accept our demands - capitulation - and only then we will organize a meeting of leaders.“ And then you deal with the implementation of these demands,“ says Kislytsa.
Negotiations between Ukraine and Russia
Recall that in May 2025, Ukraine and Russia, with the mediation of the United States, resumed direct negotiations between the parties. In addition, Zelensky personally flew to Istanbul and said that he was expecting Putin there. But the Russian president sent only his own delegation to the meetings.
However, during these few months, exchanges of prisoners and bodies of dead soldiers were agreed upon and carried out, but in terms of peace, each side presented its own memorandum on the cessation of hostilities, the terms of which are completely opposite to each other.
In particular, Ukraine has been agreeing to a ceasefire along the line of contact for several months, expressing this same position in the document, but Russia, as before, demands the surrender of several regions that it cannot capture.
As for future meetings, a few months ago Putin stated that he was ready to meet with Zelensky at the final stage. At the same time, he is not ready to sign any peace documents with him, stating that Zelensky is allegedly illegitimate.
The other day, the President of Ukraine announced that until the parties complete the exchange agreed upon at the second meeting in Istanbul, it is too early to talk about full-fledged negotiations between Kiev, Moscow and Washington.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he had held a meeting with the country's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and hinted at his dismissal, Radio NV writes.
"Ukraine needs a more positive dynamic in its relations with the United States, and at the same time, new steps are needed in managing the defense sector of our country. The relevant decisions will be announced in the near future," Zelensky wrote on his Telegram channel.
The President of Ukraine also noted that he had instructed Umerov to conclude contracts for all available quantities of priority types of unmanned aerial vehicles and announced separate work with European partners on financing.
"This year we should achieve much greater production and delivery of unmanned aerial vehicles for the army than planned. We are also preparing non-standard steps in support of defense - we are expanding the geography of this support," Zelensky said.
Earlier, Suspilne reported, citing a source from the President's Office, that Zelensky considers the current Defense Minister Rustem Umerov to be the main and so far the only candidate for the post of Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States.
The source notes that if Umerov is appointed, several senior officials are being considered as possible candidates for the post of Defense Minister: Prime Minister Denys Shmygal, Minister of Internal Affairs Igor Klymenko, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov.
The remaining changes in the government will depend on who will become the new Defense Minister.
On July 10, Zelensky announced that Ukraine's Ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova will be replaced. Instead, the president is considering the candidacy of Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
On July 8, Suspilne, citing a source in the Office of the President of Ukraine, reported that Volodymyr Zelensky had informed Oksana Markarova of his intention to dismiss her, but offered to keep her on the team.
The President of Ukraine discussed the replacement of Oksana Markarova with US President Donald Trump during a phone call on July 4. Zelensky has named several candidates for the post: Prime Minister Denys Shmygal, Defense Minister Umerov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice Olya Stefanishyna, and Energy Minister German Halushchenko. This information, published by Bloomberg on July 7, was confirmed by informed sources to journalists from the Ukrainian media.
In an interview with Ukrainian Radio on July 8, the country's Foreign Minister Andriy Szybiga said that about 20 presidential decrees are expected in the near future to renew the positions of heads of foreign diplomatic missions.
Ukraine is completely unprepared to join the EU despite Brussels' calls for Kiev to accelerate its accession to the union, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on the social network X.
"Brussels insists that Ukraine is ready for EU membership. The reality is completely different: forced mobilization, economic collapse, restrictions on freedoms and a war with no end in sight. If we accept Ukraine, we will allow the war. Who in their right mind wants this?"
Before the EU summit, Orbán said that he could not make a decision on Ukraine's European integration that would have legal force, because Hungary does not support Kiev's accession to the EU, and this issue must be resolved unanimously. He also announced the results of a poll conducted in Hungary on Ukraine's accession to the community, according to which 95% of the participants, more than 2 million people, were against Kiev's European integration.