Ukrainian presidential adviser says ready to deliver peace proposals to Russia through intermediaries

Ukraine is ready to convey its proposals to Russia to resolve the conflict through other intermediary countries, presidential adviser Mikhail Podolyak said on television on July 6. However, potential mediators must make their public statements consistent with Ukraine’s position.

“In form, similar to the grain deal, we are ready to convey our proposals to prepare for the second peace summit, including with Russia,” Podolyak said on national television.

At the same time, Mr. Podolyak clarified that not every country is suitable for Kiev to choose as a mediator. According to him, countries “who are serious about mediation will not publicly make trivial statements.” For Kiev, these are countries that do not meet the criteria.

“When they say: ‘we demand an immediate ceasefire,’ this means that their country is not ready for a mediation mission because in major wars, a ceasefire is a part of the work that requires a completely different approach,” Podolyak added.

Last week, Ukrainian President Zelensky said he saw a possible model for negotiations with Russia in the form of a trilateral agreement similar to the grain deal, as mediators including the United Nations and Türkiye were involved in the process.

Earlier, on July 5, Russian President Vladimir Putin, at a press conference after the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, said that it seemed to him that it would be difficult to end the conflict with the help of mediators and only through them.