Ukrainian security council chief to lead delegation in talks with Russia

KYIV - Rustem Umerov, secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, will head the Ukrainian delegation in the upcoming talks with Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Tuesday.

The negotiations, scheduled for this week in Turkiye, will include representatives from Ukraine's intelligence agencies, the foreign ministry and the presidential office, according to a post by Zelensky on the social media platform X.

"Ukraine is ready to work as productively as possible to secure the release of our people from captivity ... and to prepare a leaders' meeting aimed at truly bringing this war to an end," Zelensky said.

Zelensky said last Saturday that Kyiv had proposed to hold a new round of peace talks with Moscow this week.