Ukraine submits peace proposals to US as Zelenskiy warns of autumn Russian draft
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced that Kyiv has delivered fresh peace proposals to American negotiators aimed at ending the conflict with Moscow. He simultaneously warned that Russia intends to use its upcoming parliamentary elections to launch a new, large-scale military mobilisation.
Speaking in his nightly address, Zelenskiy stated that the proposals handed to the United States focus on bolstering Ukraine’s defence capabilities, particularly air defence, while urging Washington to exert diplomatic and economic pressure on the Kremlin to halt the war.
The movement in negotiations comes as U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner prepare for potential visits to both capitals, following a period where diplomatic efforts had largely stalled. Kyiv continues to press for an immediate ceasefire after nearly four and a half years of fighting, whereas Moscow insists any agreement require Ukraine to permanently cede four claimed regions.
Zelenskiy also cited Ukrainian intelligence reports indicating that Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to exploit September’s parliamentary polls to orchestrate a rapid autumn draft.
“They are preparing for mobilisation in the autumn, immediately after the imitation of parliamentary elections,” Zelenskiy said, estimating that Moscow aims to draft several hundred thousand additional personnel by the end of the year, alongside ongoing voluntary contract recruitment.
The electoral warning follows a decision by Russia’s Supreme Court on Monday to bar the liberal Yabloko party, the country’s sole registered anti-war political group, from contesting the upcoming election. Kremlin officials have denied plans for a mandatory draft, pointing to 200,000 voluntary sign-ups recorded in the first half of the year.
