Ukraine submits peace proposals to US as Zelenskyy warns of Russian mobilisation
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claims Russia plans to use upcoming parliamentary elections to justify large-scale troop conscription, while US President Donald Trump confirms the humanitarian release of detained Marine Robert Gilman.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has formally conveyed new proposals to the United States aimed at concluding the war with Russia, which has now persisted for four-and-a-half years. In a nightly address, Zelenskyy stated that Kyiv had handed the American side its latest peace framework, though he provided no specific details regarding the content of the submissions.
The Ukrainian leader urged the United States to strengthen Ukraine’s air defences and increase diplomatic and economic pressure on Moscow. Zelenskyy argued that these measures were necessary to compel Russia to prepare for an end to the conflict rather than prolonging the war. His comments come amid growing speculation that US negotiators may soon visit both Kyiv and Moscow to advance peace talks.
Zelenskyy also issued a stark warning regarding Russian military strategy, accusing President Vladimir Putin of planning a large-scale mobilisation in the autumn. He alleged that Russia intends to use its upcoming parliamentary elections as a pretext to create the appearance of public support for the war before conscripting several hundred thousand additional troops by the end of the year.
Moscow has previously denied the necessity of further mobilisation, but Zelenskyy claimed that Putin plans an “additional rapid mobilisation” immediately following what he described as an “imitation of parliamentary elections.” He suggested the strategy was designed to manufacture consent for further escalation in the coming years.
Diplomatic efforts have largely stalled since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran, with US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner last visiting Moscow in January. While Ukraine has repeatedly called for a ceasefire, Russia maintains that any settlement must involve Ukraine ceding four regions it claims and resolving the conflict’s “root causes.”
In a separate development, US President Donald Trump confirmed that Russia had released former US Marine Robert Gilman on humanitarian grounds after four years of detention. Trump stated that President Putin agreed to free the 32-year-old without any prisoner exchanges from Washington.
Gilman, who was detained in January 2022 following an alleged altercation with a police officer and designated by Washington as wrongfully detained, was expected to arrive at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, DC, on Tuesday night. US officials confirmed that doctors would evaluate his condition during the flight before he is transferred to a rehabilitation centre in San Antonio, Texas.
