Zelenskyy: US seeks steps to de-escalate war in winter
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the United States is considering possible steps to de-escalate the war between Ukraine and the Russian Federation — the aggressor state — during the winter period and to resume talks on a broader peace agreement. He told Axios this, Anadolu Agency reports.
Ideas for the winter period
According to Zelenskyy, the American team brought new proposals intended to unblock the diplomatic process. They envisage possible measures to reduce tensions before winter and throughout the winter period.
The president noted that the ideas include energy facilities, grain supplies, electricity infrastructure, as well as oil and gas exports. He stressed that Ukraine and Russia have different interests in these matters. In Zelenskyy's view, the American approach combines resuming talks with seeking arrangements that could prevent significant escalation in winter.
Contacts with US representatives
Zelenskyy met in Kyiv with envoys of US President Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, after their three-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. According to the head of state, the American representatives conveyed that the Russian side was ready for negotiations. At the same time, he noted that Russia's actions on the battlefield and the intensification of attacks do not indicate readiness for compromise.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Zelenskyy also suggested that Putin may be trying not to escalate relations with Trump ahead of the US midterm elections. At the same time, he said that, as he understands it, Putin is ready to discuss ideas aimed at advancing the negotiation process.
Assistance and further diplomacy
According to Zelenskyy, Washington supports a separate winter aid package for Ukraine, covering air defense and energy support, including supplies of liquefied natural gas. Kyiv seeks to use September and October to intensify diplomacy, and the UN General Assembly in New York may become a platform for further contacts between the United States and Ukraine.
The president also did not rule out holding a new trilateral meeting involving the United States, Ukraine and Russia. He stressed that Ukraine must maintain military strength during the diplomatic process and called on the United States to impose additional sanctions against Russia.
