Zelensky Says Russia Shows Readiness to Negotiate Amid US Diplomatic Efforts

KYIV — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Monday that Russia has demonstrated a willingness to negotiate toward resolving the ongoing conflict, according to a report by Axios. This development follows a weekend diplomatic mission by US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who traveled to both Moscow and Kyiv in an effort to break the stalemate in the war that has devastated Europe since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago.

The visit by the US envoys represents Washington’s latest attempt to revive peace talks and find a diplomatic solution to the conflict. Witkoff described the meetings as showing progress and suggested the possibility of restarting trilateral negotiations involving Ukraine, Russia, and the United States to end the war.

Zelensky told Axios that the United States is actively pushing to reduce tensions before the onset of winter, a critical period given Russia’s repeated attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during the cold months since the invasion began in February 2022. These strikes have left millions of Ukrainians without power and heating amid temperatures that can drop as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius.

According to Zelensky, the US envoys, who held separate discussions with both Ukrainian and Russian leaders, conveyed that Russia is prepared to engage in negotiations. He noted that Russia appears to believe the harsh winter conditions could be leveraged to weaken Ukraine’s resolve.

However, Zelensky also indicated that the Trump administration could exert pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to reduce hostilities. He suggested that Putin is reluctant to antagonize the US president, which could influence Moscow’s approach to the conflict.

The Ukrainian leader mentioned that the talks over the weekend included US proposals concerning the protection of energy facilities, the resumption of grain shipments, and the management of oil and gas exports. He refrained from providing specific details about these proposals.

Zelensky emphasized that the US strategy aims to restart negotiations between the warring parties and to ensure that the upcoming winter does not replicate the hardships of previous years. The overarching goal is to achieve tangible progress either before or during the winter months to bring the conflicting sides closer to peace.