Positive Signals for Ukraine-Russia Summit Amid Diplomatic Challenges
On July 25, 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that for the first time in a long while, positive signals regarding the preparation for a meeting between leaders have been received from the Russian side. However, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov expressed skepticism during a briefing for Russian media, indicating that a summit is unlikely to take place before the end of August, reports 24brussels.
The primary obstacle remains the fundamentally opposing positions reflected in the documents; the Russian side refers to it as a memorandum, while Ukraine views it as a vision for peace negotiations. Peskov emphasized that considerable diplomatic efforts are required to reconcile the approaches of Kyiv and Moscow.
Peskov stated, “A summit at the highest level can and must put a definitive end to the regulation and establish the modalities and agreements that need to be developed during the expert work. It is impossible to do otherwise. Is it feasible to complete such a complex process within 30 days? Clearly, unlikely.”
Additionally, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgiy Tikhiy remarked following the third round of talks in Istanbul that Zelensky remains open to negotiations with Putin and could meet him “as soon as tomorrow.” Russian delegation head Vladimir Medinsky responded, noting that a summit is only possible after preliminary agreements on the terms of a future deal, adding that it should “conclude” the negotiation process.
