Zelenskiy hands US peace proposals, warns of Russian mobilisation

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday that Ukraine has submitted proposals to American negotiators outlining a path to end the war with Russia. The announcement comes as peace talks remain largely frozen, with both Moscow and Kyiv indicating that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner may soon visit their capitals.

In his nightly video address, Zelenskiy said the proposals were handed over to the American side, though he offered no specifics. He urged Washington to bolster Ukraine's defences, particularly air defence systems, and to pressure Russia into pursuing an end to the conflict rather than prolonging it.

The war has now lasted nearly four and a half years. Ukraine has repeatedly called for a ceasefire, while Russia insists any settlement must involve Ukraine ceding four regions that Moscow claims and addressing what it calls the conflict's "root causes."

Zelenskiy also warned that Russian intelligence indicates Moscow will use its September parliamentary election as cover for a new mobilisation drive. He described the vote as a "pseudo-election" and said the Kremlin plans to draft several hundred thousand additional troops by the end of the year, with a similar number expected next year.

Russia's Supreme Court on Monday barred the liberal Yabloko party, the only registered party opposing the war, from competing in the election. The pro-Kremlin United Russia party is expected to retain its dominance in parliament.

Moscow declared a partial mobilisation in 2022 following its full-scale invasion. Russian officials have not commented on the latest claims, though former President Dmitry Medvedev said last month that no new mobilisation was needed, citing 200,000 volunteer contracts signed in the first half of 2026.