Ukraine War: Zelenskyy Hopes Suspended Peace Negotiations Will Resume with European Role
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed hope that suspended peace negotiations with Russia will resume, potentially with European involvement, while Ukrainian forces reported inflicting daily losses on Russian troops and conducted long-range strikes inside Russia. The Ukraine war remains the central focus of diplomatic and military developments as partners continue to coordinate aid and security measures.
Daily Russian Combat Losses
Russia has lost 1,240 soldiers killed and wounded and 88 artillery systems over the past day, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. [2] The total combat losses of the Russian forces between 24 February 2022 and 20 June 2026 are estimated to be approximately 1,390,660 military personnel. [2] Additional equipment losses recorded in the same period include 12,041 tanks, 24,787 armoured combat vehicles, 44,386 artillery systems, 1,883 multiple-launch rocket systems, 1,433 air defence systems, 436 fixed-wing aircraft, 353 helicopters, 1,695 ground robotic systems, 361,803 operational-tactical UAVs, 4,787 cruise missiles, 33 ships/boats, 2 submarines, 109,342 vehicles and fuel tankers, and 4,314 special vehicles and other equipment. [2] The information continues to be confirmed through ongoing assessments by Ukrainian military authorities. [2]
Zelenskyy on Resuming Peace Talks
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed hope that negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine, which were suspended after the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East, will eventually resume. [3] Zelenskyy suggested that Europeans could join the talks if the negotiation process resumes. [3] He explained that European participation in the negotiations is important for Ukraine because it is counting on security guarantees after the war and on membership of the European Union. [3] Zelenskyy noted that Russia is being given the opportunity to choose the format of the talks. [3] The US-mediated negotiation process on ending the war was effectively suspended after the start of the US-Israeli operation against Iran in February. [3] The Ukrainian president said that he had proposed a meeting with Vladimir Putin at the G7 summit in France this week for talks on ending the war, but Russia was not ready to speak. [3] On 4 June, Zelenskyy sent a letter to the Kremlin leader proposing a personal bilateral meeting aimed at ending the war and also stated that Europe and the United States should be involved in the negotiations. [3]
Ukrainian forces report destroying 88 Russian artillery systems in one day of fighting. — Source: ukrainskapravda
EU Membership as Security Guarantee
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told an EU summit on Thursday the future of Europe was being shaped by the defence of Ukraine and the best security guarantee for the bloc’s future was to grant Kyiv fast-track membership. [5] Zelenskiy said he told member states that Ukraine wanted the war against Russia to be over by the end of the year and he urged them to help Kyiv prepare for another winter with air defence missiles and fuel. [5] Every democratic nation in Europe deserves to be in the EU, Zelenskiy said, adding that Ukraine merits this because it has paid more than any other country for its right to be free, independent and European. [5] The most important such step could be a fast-track path for Ukraine to join the EU, Zelenskiy said. [5] EU ambassadors agreed last week to advance membership talks with Ukraine and Moldova. [5] A statement issued by the European Council after the summit welcomed the beginning of accession talks for Ukraine and said it looks forward to the opening of the other clusters, in line with the merit-based approach. [5] Through diplomacy, via sanctions and military pressure on Russia, Ukraine is pushing to end the war by the winter but Russian President Vladimir Putin is not interested in agreeing a deal, Zelenskiy said in subsequent comments. [5] Ukraine would need gas, diesel fuel, energy equipment and a package of at least 300 missiles if the war continued. [5] Nine countries made commitments totalling $1 billion to buy Patriot missiles for Ukraine under NATO’s Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List programme. [5] Overall, Kyiv’s partners announced $4 billion in new aid for Ukraine, including long-range artillery ammunition, funding for Ukrainian drones, cruise missiles, and naval drones. [5]
Reparations for Sexual Violence Victims
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a mechanism for providing one-off assistance of €3,000 to victims of sexual violence linked to Russian aggression. [4] The payments will also be available to children born as a result of such crimes. [4] Funding for the programme will come from contributions by international partners and donors. [4] Applications for the payment will be reviewed by a specially established commission under the Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity. [4] Confidentiality will be ensured throughout the process in order to prevent re-traumatisation. [4] Receiving reparations will not affect a person's eligibility for housing subsidies or other forms of state assistance. [4] Since the start of the full-scale invasion, 401 cases of sexual violence committed by Russian military personnel against Ukrainian civilians have been recorded. [4]
Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a news conference on resuming peace negotiations with Russia. — Source: ukrainskapravda
Strikes and Russian Retaliation Threats
Hours earlier, Ukrainian airstrikes struck targets deep inside Russia, including an oil refinery in Moscow. [5] In meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump and other G7 leaders in France this week, Zelenskiy highlighted such long-range strikes as proof of Ukraine’s military capabilities. [5] The Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow’s oil refinery was the second this week in what Kyiv cast as a response to an attack that damaged a nearly 1,000-year-old monastery in the city. [5] Russia has denied responsibility for that attack. [5] Zelenskiy urged Ukrainians to be prepared for new attacks by Russian forces which could intensify missile and drone strikes on us and to make use of the shelters. [5] Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking after the Ukrainian drone attack, said Moscow would carry out massive coordinated strikes on a regular basis against Ukraine. [5]
Broader Context of the Conflict
Putin's approach features an economy fueled by fighting. [1] From TV screens to classrooms, an all-pervading narrative of civilizational confrontation with the West persists. [1] Thousands of war-scarred soldiers, some of them violent convicts sprung from prison to fight in the bloodiest battles in Ukraine, are returning to cities and towns across Russia. [1]
What to watch next: Partners will monitor whether the negotiation process resumes in a format involving Europeans and Americans, alongside the delivery of the announced $4 billion in new aid commitments and the €3,000 reparations mechanism for victims.
