Ukraine has proposed to Russia a new round of talks for next week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski said on Saturday, 19, in an attempt to restart peace negotiations that have been stalled since the beginning of June.

The two rounds of negotiations held in Istanbul between Russia and Ukraine failed to advance a ceasefire, but at least reached an agreement to exchange prisoners and return the bodies of dead soldiers.

Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov"reported that he proposed the next meeting with the Russian side for next week," Zelensky said in his evening address."It is necessary to accelerate the momentum of the negotiations," he added.

Zelenskyy also reiterated his willingness to meet face-to-face with Vladimir Putin , stating that “a leadership-level meeting is necessary to truly ensure peace, a lasting peace.”

In talks last month, Russia outlined a list of stringent demands, including that Ukraine cede more territory and reject all Western military support.

Ukraine called them unacceptable ultimatums and questioned the point of continuing negotiations if Russia is not willing to make concessions.

Donald Trump and the war between Russia and Ukraine

The Kremlin said earlier this month it was ready to continue talks with Ukraine after US President Donald Trump gave Russia 50 days to reach a peace deal or face sanctions.

Trump also promised more military aid to Ukraine to help it defend itself against increasingly intense Russian attacks. In recent weeks, Russia has stepped up its daily airstrikes on Ukrainian cities and its advance on the frontline.

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This same Saturday, three people were killed in Ukraine by missiles and drones fired from Russian territory. Two of them were in the central region of Dnipropetrovsk and a third in the coastal region of Odessa.

Russia, for its part, had to suspend train service for four hours in the southern Rostov region due to a Ukrainian drone attack that injured a railway worker.