Ukraine's delegation proposed holding a "summit of leaders" by the end of August in the third round of peace talks with Russia in Istanbul on Wednesday, according to the head of the Ukrainian delegation Rustem Umerov.
"We proposed to the Russian side that such a meeting at the leaders' level be held by the end of August. If Russia accepts this proposal, it will clearly show the whole world, including our partners, that it has a constructive approach," Umerov said.
Umerov reiterated that Ukraine was ready for an unconditional ceasefire, which he described as a necessary basis for substantive peace negotiations.
"It is up to the other side to take steps in this direction. We have emphasised that the ceasefire must be real, it must include a complete cessation of all attacks on civilians and critical infrastructure."
He also said the Ukrainian delegation would prioritise the "humanitarian agenda" of prisoner swaps, particularly children.
Two previous rounds of peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv have resulted in large-scale prisoner swaps, but no concrete steps to end Russia's ongoing, full-scale invasion of Ukraine after more than three years of war.
Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy had previously challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin in May to meet face-to-face for negotiations, though Putin spurred the offer.
US President Donald Trump previously hinted he might go to Istanbul for a high-level meeting between leaders, saying "If I don't go, Putin won't come."
Wednesday's Russian delegation was headed by Vladimir Medinski, counsellor to Putin.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan chaired the third round of negotiations and Ibrahim Kalin, the head of the National Intelligence Organisation, also took part in the meeting.
Zelenskyy had initially announced on Monday that the talks, hosted by Turkey, would be held.
Seeking common ground for peace and ceasefire conditions
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier this week that the meeting in Istanbul would discuss draft memorandums of understanding between the two countries on peace terms, a ceasefire and prisoner exchanges.
"These are opposite to each other. Therefore, great diplomatic work will be done," he said.
Russia has published its memorandum detailing its conditions for an end to the conflict since the last round of peace talks.
This includes Kyiv’s “complete withdrawal of forces” from four regions of Ukraine – Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson – which Moscow claims as its own “new territories”.
Russia also demands international recognition of the territories it has illegally occupied since 2014, including the Crimean Peninsula.
Ukrainian conditions for peace include a ceasefire to facilitate further negotiations. They also want the reciprocal exchange of prisoners of war, the return of children abducted by Russia and the release of all civilians from Russian captivity.
Ukrainian and Russian officials first sat down to negotiate an end to the war on February 28, 2022, four days after Moscow launched it's full-scale invasion.
The delegation met on Ukraine's border with key Russian ally Belarus following a telephone conversation between Zelenskyy and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko.
