US considers the possibility of de-escalation between Ukraine and Russia over winter – Zelenskyy
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes the US is exploring the possibility of Ukraine and Russia taking steps to de-escalate the war over the winter while simultaneously resuming talks on a broader peace agreement.
He said this in an interview with Axios on Monday, Censor.NET reports.
On Putin and the meeting with Witkoff and Kushner
In Kyiv, Zelenskyy met with Trump’s special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner — their first visit to Ukraine since the start of Trump’s second term. Before that, Kushner and Witkoff held a three-hour meeting with Putin at the Kremlin on Saturday.
According to the Ukrainian president, the message from the US envoys was that "the Russians are ready to negotiate".
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy remains sceptical, as Russia’s actions on the battlefield and its recent escalation of strikes do not demonstrate a willingness to compromise. However, in his assessment, following the US envoys’ visit, Putin is "ready to discuss" ideas for moving the talks forward.
Ideas for de-escalation
Zelenskyy said the primary purpose of the US envoys’ visit to Moscow and Kyiv was to "unblock" the diplomatic process, although they also brought new ideas. He did not disclose details but said part of the discussions concerned "possible de-escalation steps by Russia and Ukraine ahead of and during winter".
"There are ideas concerning energy facilities and grain supplies, electricity facilities and oil and gas exports. Our interests are different — Russia’s and ours," the president said.
Asked whether the new US approach involved simultaneously resuming talks and trying to reach an understanding that would allow Ukraine and Russia to get through the winter without a major escalation, Zelenskyy said this interpretation was "very close to the reality of these conversations".
- He described the first objective as resuming talks and the second as an attempt to make the coming winter different from previous ones, when Russian strikes on energy infrastructure intensified the war.
- Meanwhile, US officials acknowledge that they do not know whether both sides’ interests can be accommodated before winter — previous attempts to agree on a ceasefire or a pause in strikes on energy facilities have invariably failed.
Putin and Trump
Zelenskyy believes the weeks before winter offer a window of opportunity for diplomacy. He is convinced that Russian dictator Putin is counting on another harsh winter to weaken Ukraine, but that the Kremlin leader also "needs Trump" and does not want to upset him ahead of the US midterm elections.
"Putin does not want to upset him," Zelenskyy said, adding that he believes Putin may seek to give Trump a "diplomatic victory" before the elections.
The president noted that even if Putin does not want de-escalation, the Trump administration can put pressure on him.
