In an interview with Axios, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the United States is exploring the possibility of de-escalating the war between Ukraine and Russia by winter and resuming talks on a broader peace agreement.
“I have a feeling that Putin needs Trump. He doesn’t want to disappoint him,” Zelensky stressed.
He said that even if Putin doesn’t want to de-escalate, the Trump administration could pressure him to do so.
When asked if Putin wanted to secure a diplomatic victory for Trump before the US election, Zelensky said: “Yes.”
Zelensky said that he had received a message from American envoys that “the Russians are ready for talks.”
He added that the American envoys arrived in Moscow and Kiev primarily to “unblock” the diplomatic process, but they also brought with them some new ideas. Zelensky declined to disclose all the details, but said that part of the discussions concerned possible steps for de-escalation by Russia and Ukraine before and during the winter.
“There are ideas related to energy facilities, grain supplies, power facilities, as well as oil and gas exports. Russia and we have different interests,” Zelensky noted.
According to him, the goal will be to find steps before or during the winter “that can bring the parties closer to peace.”
Zelensky said that the United States also supports a separate “winter package” for Ukraine, which would include air defense and energy support.
“It’s not just about missiles,” Zelensky said. “It’s also about liquefied natural gas and de-escalation measures.”
Zelensky believes Putin hopes that the winter will cause enough damage to Ukraine to force Kiev to make further concessions.
He also mentioned the possibility of holding another trilateral meeting of talks between the United States, Ukraine and Russia, although a final decision has not yet been made.
