Ukraine’s President Calls for Diplomatic Solution to End War with Russia

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Ukraine must do all it can to ensure the war with Russia ends next year through diplomacy, commenting at a decisive moment after Donald Trump’s U.S. presidential election win and Russia’s grinding battlefield gains.

Zelenskyy’s Diplomatic Push

However, Zelenskyy said Russian President Vladimir Putin was not interested in agreeing to a peace deal, and argued it was convenient for Moscow to sit down to talk while continuing to fight.

“From our side, we must do everything so that this war ends next year, ends through diplomatic means,” Zelenskyy said in a Ukrainian radio interview aired on Saturday.

Russia’s Conditions for Peace

Moscow’s ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva said on Thursday that Russia would be open to negotiations on an end to the war if they were initiated by Trump, although he added that these would have to acknowledge “realities on the ground.”

Moscow uses this phrase to mean Ukraine would have to cede four regions that Russian forces have partly occupied and that Russia has claimed in their entirety.

Zelenskyy’s Stance

Zelenskyy has repeatedly said since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 that peace cannot be established until all Russian forces are expelled and all territory captured by Moscow, including Crimea, is returned.

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Meeting with Trump

Zelenskyy said U.S. law prevented him from meeting Trump before his inauguration on Jan. 20.

“We will do everything that depends on us (to ensure a meeting). We had a really good meeting in September,” Zelenskyy said, adding he would only talk with Trump himself rather than any emissary or advisor.

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Ukraine’s Military Situation

Moscow’s forces are currently bearing down on Kurakhove, which has a thermal power plant and is only 7 km (4 miles) from Pokrovsk, a large town which for much of the war has been one of Ukraine’s logistical lynchpins.

On the battlefields of eastern Ukraine, Russia is now advancing at the fastest rate since the war’s earliest days in 2022.

Conclusion

Zelenskyy’s diplomatic push comes as Ukraine faces significant challenges on the battlefield and in its relations with Russia. While the Ukrainian president has expressed optimism about the possibility of a peaceful resolution, the road ahead will be difficult and fraught with uncertainty.

FAQs

Q: What is Ukraine’s stance on the war with Russia?

A: Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has said that peace cannot be established until all Russian forces are expelled and all territory captured by Moscow, including Crimea, is returned.

Q: What is Russia’s condition for peace?

A: Russia’s ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva has said that Russia would be open to negotiations on an end to the war if they were initiated by Trump, although he added that these would have to acknowledge “realities on the ground.”

Q: What is Ukraine’s military situation?

A: Ukraine’s forces are currently facing significant challenges on the battlefield, with Russia advancing at the fastest rate since the war’s earliest days in 2022.